Back From the Dead
by Skye Coulson
Summary: This was a request from thesuperjess. Once I heard the idea, I knew I had to work with it! Skye dies as a result of her injuries in TRACKS. But, Fury knows how important she is to Coulson & as an 084. So, he gives the order to send her to a "magical place" and brings her back. Enjoy!
1. You're Always Here With Me

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I own nothing.

**Rating:  
><strong>T (possibly subject to change...not really sure where I'm gonna end up with this...)

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye (possibly with a little Background!MayWard & Fitzsimmons)

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Ashley Tisdale "You're Always Here"

**Author's Note:  
><strong>thesuperjess requested this fic and I **_LOVED_** the idea! So, I just **had **to do it!

* * *

><p><span>You're Always Here With Me<span>

* * *

><p><em>Meet me in my dreams | And, you can help me believe | Tell me there are gonna be better days | To see your face | And, to feel your embrace | I swear I'll never forget what you gave, so, I<em>

_Pull myself together | I know it's for the better | Now, it's my turn | It's my turn to carry this way | Nothing is forever | You can't predict the weather | Now, you'll be there to help me to carry this way_

_They say that love won't die | And, then, I realize | What will be will be | You're always here with me | And, in the darkest night | I feel you by my side | What will be will be | You're always here with me_

* * *

><p>"Agent Coulson." Dr. Streitman called out, causing Phil Coulson to all but jump out of his seat as he turned to approach the doctor.<p>

"Dr. Streitman." Phil greeted, tersely. Things were still strained between himself and the doctor after Phil had learned the truth behind his resurrection. However, he couldn't deny that if anyone had any chance at all of saving Skye, it was him. For that reason, and that reason, alone, he would remain civil with the doctor.

"I'm so sorry, Phil." Dr. Streitman replied, bracing himself for whatever reaction the senior agent threw his way when he heard the news. In that moment, Phil knew the news wasn't going to be good. "We lost her." He never would have thought it possible, but, those three simple words brought Phil's entire world crashing down around him. "We did everything we could, I assure you. But, one of the bullets pierced her right ventricle-"

Holding up a hand, Phil knew he had to stop him, right there. He needed to keep this brief before he lost the fight against the tears pricking his eyes. "It's okay, Dr. Streitman." He offered, audibly struggling against the tears. "I'm sure you did." Drawing a deep, steadying breath, he added "But, if you don't mind, I think I should be the one to tell the rest of the team. I think news like this might be taken easier if it came from me."

The older doctor understood where Phil was coming from. The news of the death of a dear friend was always ever-so-slightly more palatable coming from another dear friend rather than a complete stranger. "Of course." Dr. Streitman replied, warmly, nodding as he made his swift exit.

* * *

><p>"Well?!" Jemma replied, anxiously, jumping out of her seat, startling Leo who had fallen asleep holding her. "How is she?! Is she going to be okay?!" She demanded. Not knowing was driving her certifiably insane. However, Phil didn't have to say a word. The look on his face told the entire team far more than they wanted to know.<p>

"She didn't make it." Phil replied in a quiet, choked, voice. He was slowly losing the battle to maintain composure and he knew it.

Ward just silently hung his head as he fought back the tears. May tried to wrap a comforting arm around him, but, he just couldn't even look at her at the moment and shook the arm off his shoulders a little more violently than he had originally intended. But, he just didn't have it in him to care, at that moment.

May, for her part, held all of her emotions inside. As always, her face gave away nothing of the pain that was slowly tearing her apart from the inside out. She knew Grant blamed her for what happened to Skye. On some level, she couldn't help wondering if he was right.

Jemma took a different approach. "Excuse me." She announced, quietly, before calmly leaving the waiting room. She couldn't be in there, right now. She didn't want their pity or their sympathy. _I don't deserve it._ After all, she was the bio-chemist. She was always the one to patch everyone up. She made everything better. She should have been able to save Skye.

* * *

><p>Leo knew exactly where Jemma was headed when she left the waiting room. Without a word, he simply rose from his seat to follow her. Catching up to her just before she reached the ladies' restroom, he grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to draw her into his embrace. Collapsing into his arms, she allowed the violent sobs to finally break free as she clung to Leo for dear life. Understanding that she needed this, Leo just silently held her as she cried while fighting back his own tears. He had to be strong for her. He could deal with his own emotions, later, after he knew she would be okay.<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the waiting room Melinda knew she had to get out of there. She never did like anyone to see her emotional in any way shape or form. Emotions made you weak and she would never allow anyone to see her as weak. "I need to shower and get the plane ready." She declared, her words falling on deaf ears, as she took her swift leave. Silently, part of her wished Grant would follow her even though she knew he wouldn't.<p>

"I should go, as well." Phil declared, quietly. "I have some...some paperwork to fill out." He muttered before taking his leave. Finally alone, Ward buried his face in his hands as the tears silently streamed down his cheeks. He knew he could blame Melinda all he wanted-maybe that would make all this easier-but, he knew she wasn't completely to blame. He wasn't entirely innocent in all this. He was Skye's SO. It was his _job _to make sure she was safe and protected. It was his job to have her back-especially after all the times she'd had his. _I'm so sorry I let ya down, Skye..._He thought to himself as he quietly cried it out. Once the tears finally stopped, checking his watch, he saw that it had been almost fifteen minutes, he took his leave and returned to the Bus, eager to get back to his bunk...maybe go a few rounds with the punching bag.

* * *

><p>"Aw, hell..." Dr. Streitman cursed under his breath as he re-entered the OR to find none other than Director Nick Fury, himself. "Son of a bitch..." He muttered, knowing exactly what the Director would want from him. "Uh-uh! No way!" He declared. He'd already permanently damaged one life-long friendship over the Director's orders. He wasn't about to go there, again. "I'm not. Doing it. Not again. Not to her!"<p>

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in this matter, Dr. Streitman." Fury sneered. "This girl happens to be extremely important to my one good eye." He argued, stepping closer to Streitman. "She also happens to be an 0-8-4. I will not let her go without, at the very least, discovering her full potential."

"Believe me, nobody knows how important she is to Coulson, better than I do!" Streitman fired back. "But, I also know that Coulson would never _want _this for her! Yes, he would give anything in the world-even his **own **life-to have her back! But, not at this expense! He would never want me to drag her through depths of Hell that I'm fairly certain even Satan **himself** actively tries to avoid!"

"Which is precisely why I haven't asked his permission." Fury sneered. "I am the Director of this fine agency and I am telling you, bring. her. back." He demanded. "That. is an order."

As the Director stormed out of the OR, Dr. Streitman sighed heavily. "Well, that's it. I'm goin' to Hell..." He muttered under his breath as he set to work prepping his team and the necessary equipment to bring the young hacker back.

Standing over Skye's dead body, he gently stroked a lock of hair from her face. She was so young. She didn't deserve any of this. Definitely not dying at the hands of that bastard, Quinn. Crossing over to the sink, he wet a cloth. Wringing out the excess water, he returned to the operating table where Skye lay lifeless and began tenderly cleaning the blood from her face and chest. "I am so sorry..." He muttered as a lone tear escaped down his cheek.

* * *

><p>Unable to concentrate on the task at hand, Phil angrily stabbed at the paperwork on his desk before shoving everything before him off the desk and onto the floor. Normally he kept his office meticulously immaculate. But, right now, he just didn't have it in him to care about anything. At least not about anything other than how empty The Bus suddenly felt without Skye running around creating her usual chaos. He would have given anything in the world just to hear her voice one more time. Flopping down on the bed, Phil sat up and buried his face in his hands. He never even had the chance to say 'goodbye'.<p>

Running his hands up his face and through his hair, Phil stood up, throwing off his jacket. Yanking off his tie, he just allowed his clothes to pile up on the floor at the foot of the bed. With the tie gone, his hands just went through the motions as he undid his shirt and tossed it to the floor. Sitting back down, he blindly went through the motions as he pulled his shoes and socks off before standing back up to unbuckle his belt and pull his pants off.

Crossing over to his closet, Phil blindly grabbed a pair of pajamas and re-dressed himself. Crawling into bed, he pulled the blankets tight around himself in a feeble attempt to fight the cold that had settled over his entire body from the moment that he had first learned of Skye's death. Here, alone in his bed, he couldn't fight it anymore as the dam finally broke as the violent sobs wracked his entire body while tears streamed down his cheeks, soaking the pillow under his head. Unable to stop the sobs, he just allowed himself to cry himself to sleep for the first time in a _**long**_ time.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**So, I hope y'all like this first chapter! I can't promise when I'll get the next one up. But, I promise to get it up as soon as I possibly can. I've got a pretty full plate at work, next week (working six days). So, I can't promise how soon the next chapter will be up. But, I am **really **excited about this story. So, even I look forward to the next installment.

~Skye Coulson


	2. You're My Shadow

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I own nothing!

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Jessie J "My Shadow"  
>The Band Perry "If I Die Young" (in the style of the <em>Glee <em>Cast...sort of...you'll see...hopefully)

* * *

><p><span>You're My Shadow<span>

* * *

><p><em>You'll never leave me | You'll never leave me | You'll never leave me | You'll never leave me<em>

_I wish we could have another minute | To finish this fairytale | Hear your voice and get lost in it | 'Cause all I got is broken details | You were my world and everything in it | So, how did you disappear | I won't say this is over | You're still here_

_You're my shadow | My shadow | I know you're close | You're my shadow | My shadow | Everywhere I go | So, I | I don't see the need to cry 'cause | You'll never leave my life | You're my shadow | My shadow | Oh_

* * *

><p>Weapon in hand, Phil Coulson carefully pushed his way through the door he'd found slightly ajar. Scanning the room, his heart stopped as he took in the sight of Skye laying propped up against the wall in a pool of blood. "Oh God..." He muttered to himself as he tucked his gun away and fell to his knees at her side. "Oh, no...Oh, God..." He muttered, again, before coming to his senses. "SIMMONS! GET DOWN HERE!" He screamed more frantically than he would have liked. Stroking Skye's hair from her face, the senior agent cradled her close to his chest. "Hold on...Just hold on, okay?..." He begged, quietly, while waiting for the rest of the team to find them.<p>

As the rest of the team filed into the room, Phil looked up. "She's been shot." He explained, while Jemma began checking her injuries.

"Keep her upright!" Jemma ordered.

"I got no pulse!" Phil declared, a note of terror in his voice he would never admit to.

"Eeehhh..." Jemma squealed, panicked, as she frantically searched the room for anything she could use to help the young hacker. "She's lost too much blood. I don't know-" Spotting the hyperbaric chamber across the room, she barked out another order. "Put her in there!"

"Do you even know what this thing is?!" Ward barked.

"It's a hyperbaric chamber and I said put her in there! Now!" Jemma barked, unwilling to back down.

"All right. Let's go!" Ward barked as the rest of the team helped lift Skye and carry her to the chamber. Once she had been placed on the built-in gurney, they hurriedly shoved the gurney inside, slamming the door closed.

"I need to get her temperature down, Fitz!" Jemma ordered before joining Leo's side as he adjusted the settings on the chamber.

"Got it. I got it." Leo replied, off-handedly as he watched the settings take effect. After what felt like hours, he added "Temperature's dropping."

"Pressure's stabilizing." Jemma added, as they all stared inside the chamber, anxiously searching for any sign that their efforts were working.

"Is it working?" Melinda asked, an uncharacteristically anxious tone to her voice.

"IS IT WORKING?!" Phil demanded, terrified.

* * *

><p>Sitting bolt upright in bed, Phil Coulson fought to catch his breath after his nightmare. As he regained his bearings, reality set in as he realized it wasn't just a nightmare. Turning over to his nightstand, he checked the clock as he shut off the alarm that had been rendered moot by his sudden awakening.<p>

Today was the day. He never thought this day would come. But, today was the day of Skye's funeral. Fury had offered to handle the matter, privately, but Phil knew his team needed this. They needed the chance to say goodbye. They would never be able to make their peace with it without the closure only a funeral could provide.

Rising from the bed, he took in the sight of the mess that had piled up since Skye's death. Emotionally bankrupt, he just blindly cleared a path as he picked up whatever clothes lay on the floor in his path and dumped them all in the hamper in his closet. Looking up at the clothes hung up before him, he grabbed a black shirt and a black suit and tie. Laying it all out on the bed, he stepped into his en suite bathroom and started up his shower. Stepping in inside, he let the warm water cascade down his body while his mind lingered on the meaning of today. The one and only woman he had ever loved and connected with on virtually every level was gone. Here, in the privacy of his own shower-with the water as camouflage, he allowed himself another chance to cry. As the tears mingled with the shower-water, he blindly went about business as usual.

Shutting off the water, Phil grabbed the towel from the adjacent hook and dried himself off before returning to his bunk to dress. Pulling on his clothes, the senior agent resorted to his only remaining defense mechanism. Numbness. It was easier to shut down and feel nothing at all than to allow himself to feel pain. Once dressed, he ventured out of his bunk in search of coffee.

* * *

><p>Looking at herself in the mirror, Jemma still couldn't believe all this was happening. Never, in her life, did she ever think she would have to attend a memorial service. She was a science officer, for Christ's sake. Her friends and colleagues were <strong>not <strong>supposed to die in the line of duty. But, here, staring at herself dressed in a knee-length black dress with an applique-covered mesh over her chest, shoulders and arms, and black pumps, she couldn't pretend anymore. The funeral service was really happening. And, Skye was really dead.

Sighing heavily, she proceeded to cross over to her bunk and sat down as she pulled her guitar out from underneath the bed. It was a little known fact, but, the bio-chemist liked to use music as a means of therapy whenever she was stressed out or upset about something. Strumming the strings, she began rehearsing the song she had prepared for service. A special request only she'd ever known about.

* * *

><p>Passing Jemma's bunk on his way to the galley, he paused when he overheard the soft sound of music along with Jemma's voice. Before Phil could say or do anything else, the bio-chemist paused as she met his eye. "Oh...I'm so sorry..." She muttered, slightly embarrassed. "Did I wake you?"<p>

"No." Phil replied, simply, trying to fake a warm smile as he stepped into the doorway to Jemma's bunk. Clearing his throat, slightly, he asked "What was that?"

"It's um..." Jemma began, nervously. "It's just...It's just the song that I was planning to sing at the funeral." She explained, as she looked down at her hands. None of them liked talking about what today represented.

Nodding his understanding, Phil hated seeing how guilty Jemma looked for bringing up the subject of the funeral. Intellectually, he knew that not talking about it wouldn't make it any less real. And, it certainly wouldn't bring Skye back. As he slowly entered the bunk, the senior agent lowered himself onto the bed next to her. "It sounded very nice...Just from the small portion that I heard, just now..."

"Thank you..." Jemma replied, quietly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Would you mind playing a little more for me?" Phil asked, trying to be supportive.

"A-actually, Agent Coulson...I'd really rather not..." Jemma replied, nervously. "It's just that...It's a rather difficult song for me, right now-given everything that's happened...I'd really rather wait until the service..." Seeing the pain written in her friend and mentor's eyes, she tried to lighten the mood. "Besides...I just finished my make-up..."

The senior agent knew what the young woman was trying to do, and appreciated it. Chuckling quietly, Phil wrapped an arm around Jemma. "Fair enough." He replied, managing the ghost of a small smile. "I was just about to fix myself some coffee. Care to join me?"

Deciding that she could, in deed, use the break, Jemma smiled slightly as she replied "Sure."

* * *

><p>Clad in a black dress shirt, black necktie, black pants, socks, and shoes, Leo Fitz found himself standing before the mirror in his bunk as he slipped his jacket on. He'd always heard about memorial services for fallen agents. He just never thought he'd ever have to actually attend one. Certainly not one for someone he was as close to as he'd been with Skye. She was always like the sister he never knew he wanted. Finally satisfied with the way he looked, he ventured out of his bunk where he found Jemma and Coulson gathered in the galley.<p>

"Morning, Leo." Phil greeted, gently. None of them were foolish enough to call it a 'good' morning. "Coffee?" He offered, politely.

"No, thank you, Agent Coulson." Leo replied, graciously. "Just orange juice for me, thanks." He added, opening the fridge to pour himself a glass.

* * *

><p>Staring at herself in the mirror, clad in a strapless knee-length black dress covered with a sheer lace overlay and black pumps, Melinda May hated days like these. She'd been to more than her fair share of memorials and they never got any easier. This one, however, had to be the hardest of them all. She couldn't be sure where Phil and Jemma stood, but, she knew that Grant blamed her for Skye's death. Intellectually, she knew that honor was all Ian Quinn's. But, on some level, she couldn't help wondering if the specialist was right to blame her. Putting all the finishing touches on her hair and make-up, she took a deep breath as she ventured out of her bunk.<p>

Spotting Fitz, Phil, and Simmons together in the galley, she silently made her way toward them. Passing Fitzsimmons, she reached for the coffee pot. "Morning, Melinda." Phil offered, as warmly as he could muster. It was no fault of Melinda's. He was just too spent to muster his usual tone of voice.

"Morning, Phil." Melinda offered, quietly, before moving to the lounge area to drink her coffee.

* * *

><p>Putting the finishing touches on his all-black tux, Grant Ward drew a steadying breath. This wasn't his first memorial service. But, this one was different. He was Skye's SO. As easy as it was for him to blame Melinda for what happened, he knew it wasn't her fault. He couldn't escape some of the blame. She was his responsibility. And, he'd failed her. Sighing in defeat, Grant took one final look at himself in the mirror before venturing out to the galley in search of caffeine.<p>

Upon arrival, he found the rest of the team-except for Melinda, still sat in the lounge area-gathered in the galley. "Morning..." He mumbled, gruffly.

"Morning, Agent Ward." Jemma replied, sympathetically.

"Morning..." Leo added, quietly.

"Morning, Grant." Phil offered, sliding a cup of coffee across the counter toward the specialist who merely nodded his thanks before carefully entering the lounge area.

"Morning..." He offered, lowering himself down onto the loveseat adjacent to the chair Melinda had taken.

Holding her coffee in her hands, the stoic pilot lowered gaze to stare into the warm brown liquid, avoiding the hateful gaze of the specialist.

Sighing lightly, Grant softened his voice as he spoke again. "Look...Could we just talk, for a minute?" He asked, desperately. Losing Skye was hard enough. He couldn't handle fighting with Melinda on top of it. "Privately..." He added, with a quick glance to the galley.

Venturing a careful glance up at the specialist, Melinda noted that his eyes had softened considerably and nodded tentatively as she rose from her seat, leading him back to her bunk.

"Where d'you think they're going?" Jemma wondered, curiously.

Knowing the history between the two operatives, Phil half-glared at the door to Melinda's bunk as he replied, cryptically. "I think it's best we don't know..."

* * *

><p>Sliding the door to the bunk closed, Grant drew a steadying breath as he broke the ice. "Look, I just wanted to...to apologize..." He began, searching for the right words. "I don't blame you for what happened to Skye..." He elaborated. "It was just easier to blame you than to deal with the reality of the situation. Bottom line, we all know Ian Quinn's the only one to blame here."<p>

Melinda couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was relieved to know that Grant had forgiven her-that he didn't blame her for Skye's death. Though, it still didn't stop her from questioning her own actions, that day. Crossing the room, she slowly wrapped her arms around him, relieved when he didn't push her away. "For what it's worth...We _all _lost her..." She offered, supportively.

Understanding the pilot's point, Grant replied "I know...I know we did..." Holding the woman in his arms for a moment longer, the specialist pulled away for a moment as he stared into her eyes. "I'm sorry I was such an ass, before. You were only trying to help..."

"Yeah, well..." Melinda began, averting her gaze. "I suppose, on some level, I can't help wondering if you weren't right to blame me..."

"Hey..." Grant replied, warmly, taking her chin in his thumb and forefinger as he gently guided her to look at him. "Don't think that...The shit hit the fan and not one of us had any control over anything..." He added, sincerely. "I'm just glad **you** made it out, okay..."

* * *

><p><em>An Hour Later<em>

* * *

><p>Pulling up outside of the cemetery just off the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Phil noticed all the people gathered for Skye's memorial. <em>Guess she touched more lives than she realized. <em>He thought to himself as he put the SUV in park. As they all exited the vehicle and approached the grave site, they all had to fight back the tears stinging their eyes.

Arriving at the site of Skye's grave, Phil and the team ran into Director Nick Fury. "Phil." The Director greeted, stoic as ever.

"Sir." Phil replied, accepting the hand that Fury extended toward him.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss." Nick Fury offered, sincerely. "Regardless of what I may have said about Skye in the beginning, I know how much she meant to you..."

"Thank you, sir." Phil replied, steadfastly keeping his voice professionally detached. "She meant a lot to all of us..."

Nodding his understanding, Fury wordlessly walked away to speak with other guests as Phil and his team settled into their places. "What's with the guitar, Jemma?" Leo asked, curiously, noting the guitar case the bio-chemist chemist had been toting.

"Well..." Jemma began, anxiously. "A few months ago, Skye walked in on me playing and I told her that it's sort of...therapeutic for me..." She elaborated, smiling sadly at the memory. "She also confided in me that..." Drawing a shaky breath, Jemma continued on. "That...If anything were to ever...happen to her...She said she'd be honored if I would sing at her funeral..." She finished, hanging her head to hide her fresh tears from the rest of the group.

Stepping toward Jemma, Leo just wrapped her up in his arms as she cried, quietly, for a moment. "I'm sure...wherever she is...she's happy to see you honoring her wishes..." He offered, consolingly.

Everyone soon quieted down as the reverend stepped forward, commanding all their attention. "I'd just like to welcome you all, this morning. We are all gathered here, today, to say goodbye to Skye. Tragic though it may be, the Heavenly Father always calls his children home. We may never understand the reasons. We can only take comfort in knowing that our loved ones are safe and happy...and very patiently waiting for us to join them, when our time comes. Now, I know that Agents Coulson and Simmons have a few words they'd like to say..." He paused to turn his attention to Phil. "Agent Coulson..." He offered, motioning Phil up to the podium.

"Thank you, Reverend Allen." Phil replied, stepping up to the podium. Turning his attention the rest of the guests, he began the speech he'd prepared. "Skye was a member of my team. When I first recruited her, she was...a little rough around the edges." Phil admitted, recalling his first encounter with the hacker. "But, she was smart...and driven...She had a lot of potential." He added, with a sad smile. "She may not have been a part of our lives for very long...But, in the time that we **were **fortunate enough with her, she found her way into each of our hearts." He added. That was the truth. Each and every member of their team loved Skye in their own ways. "Skye was...brilliant...and kind...and, so...**_so _**resilient. In her short time on this Earth, she had endured far more than anyone should ever have to...And, yet somehow...She always managed to find the ray of light in even...the darkest storm. I'm sorry..." Phil paused, there, to wipe his eyes and clear his throat. Watching the whole scene unfold before them, there wasn't a single dry eye in the house. "Skye was stolen from us far too soon." He declared, finally. "But, her spirit will always remain within each and every one of us." He added. He knew that the effect that Skye'd had on each of their lives would not just go away simply because she was no longer there, in person. "Skye was one of those people that...Once you knew her...You knew you'd never forget her." As the tears continued stealing from his eyes, Phil knew he wouldn't be able to continue any further without completely breaking down. "And, uh...With that said...I'd like to turn the floor over to the lovely Miss Jemma Simmons."

Trading places with Phil at the podium, Jemma stopped to give her friend and mentor a brief, supportive, hug. As they separated, Jemma opened her guitar case to sling the instrument over her shoulder. Stepping up to the mic, she greeted the guests. "Hello, everyone..." Drawing a steadying breath, she recounted the story she'd told her team moments before. "A few months ago, Skye stumbled upon the one secret I'd hidden from the rest of our team. You see...whenever I'm stressed out or upset about something, I like to unwind with music...That night...Skye asked me if...God forbid...anything should ever happen to her...if I would sing for her at her funeral. Well, now that time has sadly come and I mean to honor the commitment I made to her." As she tuned her guitar she added. "This song happens to be a favorite of mine and I felt that it was...tragically appropriate for this occasion..." Clearing her throat, Jemma then began to sing.

* * *

><p>"<em>If I die young | Bury me in satin | Lay me down on a bed of roses | Sink me in the river | At dawn | Send me away with the words of a love song | Uh oh | Uh oh"<em>

* * *

><p>Clearing her throat, Jemma began to play her guitar as she continued singing, fighting against the tears that threatened to fall.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Lord, make me a rainbow | I'll shine down on my mother | She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh, and | Life ain't always what ya think it oughtta be, no | Ain't even gray, but, she buries her baby | The sharp knife | Of a short life, well | I've had just enough time"<em>

* * *

><p>As the song progressed, Phil realized just how perfect it was for the young hacker. Granted, her blood family was all smiling and celebrating their long-overdue reunion with Skye. However, he knew the team all felt a connection to the song as they had all become a unique-albeit dysfunctional-family unit. And, it wasn't fair the way Skye had been stolen from them like this.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>If I die young | Bury me in satin | Lay me down on a bed of roses | Sink me in the river | At dawn | Send me away with the words of a love song | The sharp knife | Of a short life, well | I've had just enough time<em>

_And, I'll be wearin' white | When I come into your kingdom | I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger, I've | Never known the lovin' of a man but it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand, there's a | Boy, here in town says he'll | Love me forever | Who would have thought forever could be severed by | The sharp knife of a short life, well | I've had just enough time"_

* * *

><p>Listening to the song, Melinda knew how appropriate the last verse was for Skye and Phil. Although he may have never actually said anything about or acted upon it, he was hopelessly in love with the young hacker. She had seen the way they looked at each other. There was no denying it. Glancing over at Grant, she knew that it was the same for the two of them. Sure, what they had started out as purely sex. But, they both knew it was more than that. Reaching out, she tentatively entwined their fingers, relieved when he returned the contact, glancing over at her with a softer look on his face.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls | What-em-ever did is done<em>

_A penny for my thoughts | Oh, no | I'll sell 'em for a dollar | They're worth so much more | After I'm a goner | And, maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singin' | Funny when you're dead, how people start listenin'"_

* * *

><p>Watching Jemma singing her song for Skye, Leo had to wipe a tear from his eye. He knew, all too well, that somehow people never really took anyone seriously until they were just...gone. It's like the old saying goes...You never really do know what you have until it's gone.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Oh..."<em>

* * *

><p>As she went into the next chorus, and her voice began to crack and fail her, Jemma opened her eyes to see that the rest of the team had joined her at the podium-Phil on her left with Leo on her right and Grant and Melinda directly behind them-and had begun to sing along with her, in perfect harmony.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>If I die young | Bury me in satin | Lay me down on a bed of roses | Sink me in the river | At dawn | Send me away with the words of a love song | Uh oh"<em>

* * *

><p>The rest of the group paused to allow Jemma a brief solo.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>The ballad of a girl | Go with peace and love"<em>

* * *

><p>Rubbing Jemma's back comfortingly, Phil and the rest of the group rejoined her song.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Gather up your tears | Keep 'em in your pocket | Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em, oh | The sharp knife | Of a short life, well"<em>

* * *

><p>Once again, the voices of the rest of the group died away for Jemma's second solo.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>I've had just enough time<em>

_So, put on your best boys | And, I'll wear my pearls"_

* * *

><p>Watching and listening as Jemma hit her high note, despite the situation, Phil couldn't help feeling fatherly sense of pride as the young bio-chemist held her composure together and finished out the song, strong. As the song came to a close, Jemma smiled as the guests all applauded her performance. "Th-thank you..." She responded, awkwardly.<p>

Looking out at the audience, Phil caught sight of his old friend, Nick Fury. Even the stoic, unmovable, Director had to wipe the tears from his eyes as he listened to the song the bio-chemist and her team had just sung.

* * *

><p>After they'd returned to their places, and the reverend had continued on with the service, Phil watched as they lowered the casket into the ground. With heavy hearts, they all bent down and picked up handfuls of dirt to throw on the grave. Standing next to Phil, Jemma wiped the dirt from her hands as she gripped his right shoulder in her left hand while the right gently lay top his arm. Once he had acknowledged her with a glance, Jemma knew that nothing needed to be said in that moment as she and the rest of the team followed the rest of the guests out, leaving Phil alone the grave site.<p>

Staring at the tombstone before him, Phil finally let some of the tears fall down as his voice shook and cracked. "Skye..." He began, searching for the right words for his goodbye. "I...I'm so sorry...Quinn was right...I never should have let you go in there, alone...You meant so much to me. You always will." Pausing to release a choking sob, he continued his goodbye speech. "I love you, Skye...God...I've always loved you...I know I never...never said or did anything about it...But, I just...I couldn't say goodbye to you...I couldn't let you go without...without...getting it off my chest." Sighing, Phil reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Skye's flash drive which contained all of the intel she'd gathered in her search for her parents. "I uh.." He began, pausing to clear his throat. "I thought you might want this..." He began, fighting back the tears. "I grabbed it...From your bunk, this morning..." He began, fidgeting awkwardly. "I thought you might want it to show it to your parents. I know you're up there, with them, now. I'm sure they'd love to see all the effort and all the work you put into finding them. I'm sure they'd be proud of you." The senior agent offered, his voice thick with emotion as he lay the flash drive down at the base of the tombstone. "God knows I am. I'm so proud of you, Skye. And, not just for all the work you put into looking for your family." He added, smiling sadly. "But, I'm proud of the person you became. And, I know your family is, too." Phil choked out. "Well, I...I guess, I better get back." He added, pointing toward the SUV. "Team's waiting...Plus, we-uh...We got a lotta work to do...I promise you, Skye..." He began, his voice firmer and more confident than it had been all day. "I swear on my life that Ian Quinn **will **pay for what he did to you...For taking you away from us..." Rising to his feet, Phil straightened his jacket and his pants before resting a hand on Skye's tombstone. "Goodbye, Skye."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**Okay, I was gonna extend this chapter a little longer but (A) it's late and I gotta work in the morning and (B) I was in **_tears _**as I wrote Phil's private, grave-side goodbye. This is the only story I've ever written where I've actually brought **myself **to tears while I was writing it. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter. Again, no promises as to when the next one will be up. But, I can say that I will have it up just as soon as I **possibly **can. In the meantime, if you'd like to see the trailer I made for this story, just go to YouTube and search "Coulsye Productions || Back From the Dead || Trailer". If there's more than one result with the same title (which there shouldn't be), look for the one uploaded by the user "Coulsye Productions"...

~Skye Coulson


	3. I'll Pay You To Shoot Him

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>As always, I own nothing.

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Megan McCauley "I'll Pay You To Shoot Him"  
>Jessie J "Who's Laughing Now"<p>

* * *

><p><span>I'll Pay You to Shoot Him<span>

* * *

><p><em>Officer, what will you do | Officer, I'll pay you | I'll pay you to shoot him, now | I will pay you to take him out | I will pay you to shoot him, now | I'll pay you to blow his brains out<em>

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, Agent Hill?" Phil Coulson asked, entering his fellow senior agent's field office. Looking up at her colleague, Agent Maria Hill could tell that something had died inside Coulson the day he lost the hacker. Personally, she never understood their connection-only that they, in fact-shared a very deep one. Given the age difference, she just chalked it up to a father-daughter connection. She also knew that Coulson took his job as the the team lead very seriously. She knew he took losing a member of his team, personally. Which made the news she was about to deliver that much harder.<p>

"Phil, there's..." Maria began, hesitantly. Immediately, Phil knew something was wrong. Maria Hill was never nervous-never awkward. "...there's something I have to tell you..." She sighed. "Ian Quin escaped custody." She deadpanned, opting to just rip the band-aid off and be done with it.

Staring into the face of her friend and colleague, Maria realized this was the first time in all the years they'd known and worked with one another that she honestly could _not _read him...at all. There was a bitter cold in his eyes as his body language became deadly calm for a beat. "Okay..." Phil replied, a terse quality to his voice that Hill was fairly certain would have scared the shit out of Director Fury, himself. "I'm gonna say 'What?!'...And, the words 'Ian', 'Quinn', and 'escaped' damn well better disappear from your reply." He threatened, his voice deadly quiet.

"I would love nothing more than to-" Maria never got the rest of her sentence out before Coulson's calm exterior shattered.

"**HE _WHAT_?!**" Phil roared, causing the usually stoic agent to flinch, visibly. Storming across the office, Coulson slammed his fists on the desk-eliciting an equally uncharacteristic jump from the other senior agent-before hissing "_How_?"

"We don't know." Maria conceded, shakily. "One of the guards was serving breakfast and saw that his cell was empty. We checked the camera feeds-every possible angle. He must have had outside help since the cameras were taken temporarily offline-" She began, before being cut off, again.

"Just long enough for him to make his escape." Phil interjected, visibly working the puzzle in his head. "That still doesn't account for how he got out of the building unseen!"

"We're working on that." Maria replied, regaining at least some of her composure. "In addition to finding Quinn."

"You leave _that _to me and my team." Phil hissed, dangerously, before storming out of the office. Flopping down in her chair, Maria sighed heavily as the tension of the confrontation bled from her body. _Well...That went well..._ She thought to herself, sarcastically, before getting back to work.

* * *

><p>"Shall I wake her up, now?" One of the nurses asked, turning to Dr. Streitman, preparing to bring Skye out of her medically induced coma.<p>

"Not yet." The senior physician replied.

"Doctor, it's been three days..." The nurse argued. "If the new memories haven't taken root, by now, they're not going to." She reasoned.

"That's not what I'm concerned about." Noting the confused look in the young nurse's eyes, Dr. Streitman knew she would need more to go on. "Ian Quinn's on the loose." He added. "We're going to keep her under until he can be brought to justice, once and for all. If word gets out that she's still alive, we can't be sure he won't come back to finish the job." The doctor reasoned.

"She doesn't have to be in a coma to go into hiding." The young nurse argued, naïve to the full situation.

"Normally, you'd be correct, Nurse Robinson." The doctor conceded. "However, this is hardly a normal situation." He added, cryptically. "We can't wake her up until the time is right for her to rejoin her team."

"Why not?" Nurse Robinson questioned, curiously.

"Because, the more time she spends away from them, the more questions we have to answer and the more likely she is to remember what _actually _happened to her." Dr. Streitman explained, finally. "It's bad enough we dragged her through that shit, once...And, that we're lying to her about it...I do **not **want to be the one to tell her the truth." He confessed, guiltily. "Do you?" He questioned the young nurse, quirking an eyebrow challengingly.

"I suppose not." Nurse Robinson confessed.

"I didn't think so." Dr. Streitman replied, before leaving the room.

* * *

><p>"He <strong><em>what<em>**?!" Jemma screeched.

"How is that even possible?!" Grant asked, barely able to restrain his anger.

"We don't know." Coulson admitted, tersely. "But, the 'how' is not nearly as important as the 'where'." He added, changing the subject. "Personally, I'm far more interested in where Quinn is, now. And, how to take his sorry ass down, once and for all."

"I agree." May interjected, her voice deadly quiet.

"May and Coulson are right." Leo replied. "We can't go back in time and prevent Quinn from escaping." The genius conceded. "But, we _can _ensure that he pays **dearly **for what he did to Skye." The rest of the team fell into a stunned silence at the venom that dripped from the rocket scientist's voice.

"We'll have to play our cards just right." May suggested. "Quinn knows all our faces." She reasoned. "How will we approach him."

"We won't." Coulson replied, shrugging simply.

"I'm sorry." Jemma interjected, quizzically. "But, how exactly are we supposed to 'make Quinn pay' if we can't even approach him?"

"You misunderstood." Phil replied, simply. "I said '_We _won't'..." He added. Before anyone could say or do anything else, another young woman entered the room to stand behind Coulson. Taking in the sight of her, they noticed she stood at almost Coulson's exact height with an athletic build. She was Caucasian with brown hair and blue eyes and bore a remarkable resemblance to Coulson.

"I will." The new girl replied, smiling smugly. "Special Agent Karyleena Coulson. Though, just 'Kary' or 'KC' is just fine." She added, introducing herself, rather proudly.

"'Coulson'?" Leo and Jemma repeated, simultaneously.

"Yes, that's right." Karyleena confirmed. "I'm Agent Coulson's daughter." She added, wrapping her arm around her father's shoulders.

"I've read Kary in on the full situation, with Quinn." Phil added, his voice purely clinical. "And, Skye..." He added, his voice notably softer.

Gently squeezing her father's hand, supportively, Kary jumped in for him. "And, I volunteered to go after Quinn. A friend of mine in tech ops is working 'round the clock on finding Quinn."

"Say you do manage to find him..." Grant challenged. "Then, what?" He asked. "How do you plan to bring him in? He's gonna be paranoid, looking out for anything and everything S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Which is why I've got a very special ace up my sleeve." Karyleena replied, with a smug-albeit, cryptic-smirk on her face. However, before anyone could question her about it, the shrill ring of a cellphone pierced the air. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she tapped the screen before speaking into it. "Coulson."

_"Hey, Kare-Bear." Agent Richard Anderson replied, hearing his friend and colleague answer the phone. "Can you speak freely?"_

"You can." Karyleena replied, smiling softly at the use of her friend's personal nick-name for her.

_"We got a lock on Quinn." Richard replied, getting straight down to business. "He just booked a room at-get this-the Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech Republic." The tech officer replied._

"That was fast." Kary replied, clearly impressed by her friend's abilities.

_"Yeah, well, it helps that he was stupid enough to use an old alias." Richard explained, digging through the reservations on the hotel's database. "Looks like he checked in under 'David Conrad'."_

"That's great, Rick." Kary replied. "Send the details to my phone. I'll take it from there." She added in lieu of a 'goodbye' as she hung up the phone. "That was Agent Richard Anderson in tech ops. Turns out Mr. Quinn-or shall I say, Mr. Conrad-has checked himself into the Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech Republic."

"Great!" Ward replied, sarcastically. "There's step one." He added. "Now, how exactly do you plan to catch him?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he dared Karyleena to come back from that.

"Ya ever hear the old expression, 'You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar', Agent Ward?" Kary asked, smugly.

"What's your point?!" Grant asked, cockily.

Sighing heavily, Karyleena replied "Okay...What if I said 'honey trap' and you understood what I'm saying?"

"That's..." Grant began, trying to scoff at the idea. But, he had to admit. That _would _be the **last **thing that Quinn would expect. It may well be **just **crazy enough to work. "That's...pretty brilliant, actually..." He finally realized, he had to admit defeat.

"Excuse me, Agent-I mean, Kary..." Jemma began, correcting herself mid-sentence, as she recalled the nicknames the younger Coulson preferred. "But, are there any stops coming up where I could board this train of thought?"

Smiling understandingly, Kary replied "Well, Jemma...The Honey Trap is one of the oldest tricks in the book..." She began, carefully. "Every operative has their own spin on it...But, the basics are have a few drinks...flirt...bat your eyelashes a couple times-he takes you up to his room-...get naked and let him think he's gonna get lucky." Karyleena replied, bluntly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my daughter..." Coulson replied, sarcastically, as he gestured to his daughter who merely smacked him on the shoulder playfully.

"Hey, your baby girl's all grown up, now, and willing to do whatever the hell it takes to take that bastard down for what he did-not only to Skye-but, to the rest of your team when he took her from you." Karyleena replied, instantly earning countless brownie points from the team around her. "Which is where my own little spin on the honey trap comes into play..." She began, grinning wickedly. "Once we get up to Quinn's hotel room and I get him where I want him, the rest of you can come and out and play."

"'Come out and play'?" Leo repeated, curiously.

"Beat him...stab him...whip him..." Karyleena replied, casually, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder. "Whatever ya damn well _feel _like doin' to him, really..."

"You don't intend to take Quinn alive, do you?" May asked, filling in the blanks.

"Why _would _I?" Kary scoffed. "Because it worked so _well_, the last time?!" Catching blank stares from the operatives around her, she added "No. I don't _intend_ for Quinn to leave that hotel room, alive." She replied, finally. "That dickless wonder deserves to rot in Hell for what he did and I-for one-intend to put him right where he belongs-six feet under the ground." Even Phil Coulson, himself, didn't recognize the dark, venomous voice that poured from his daughter's lips. "Satan can do the rest."

"Where do you plan on hiding your wire?" Grant asked as they began their descent in the Czech Republic.

"Richard gave me these special contacts to wear." Kary replied, pulling a small white plastic case from her pocket. "They have a tiny little camera in them so, you'll all be able to see what I see as I see it." She explained, before pulling a small black velvet box from the same pocket. "Next, I have these earrings with a comm link built in." Replacing her supplies in her pocket, the younger Coulson began to take her leave.

"Where are you going?" Jemma asked, curiously.

"To the Cage, to get ready." Kary shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It takes time to achieve the level of knockout required to seduce Ian Quinn."

* * *

><p>Walking into The Cage, Phil watched as his daughter put the finishing touches on her hair and make-up. "You weren't kidding when you said 'knockout'." He greeted, trying like hell to to keep his voice light as he took in the sight of the long-sleeved black lace mini-dress with a scalloped V neckline and matching black Louboutin stiletto heels. Looking into the mirror, he saw that her beautiful brown hair fell in soft waves, perfectly framing her face. Her eyes wore a subtle, yet striking, smokey eye-shadow combination as her lips wore a bright red lipstick.<p>

Spritzing a dash of perfume on her wrists and neck, Karyleena replied "Well, when you're trying to seduce Ian Quinn, ya gotta bring your A-Game..." Grinning like the Cheshire Cat, she glanced at her chest before joking "...Or should I say your Double-D-Game?" She asked, hoping to add a little levity to the situation.

Despite the nature of the joke, and the current situation, Phil couldn't help chuckling slightly, despite himself. But, reality settled back in far too soon as he replied "You know you don't have to do this, right?"

Sighing lightly, Kary placed her lipstick in her black clutch as she replied "Of course I do." Turning to face her father, Kary took his hand in hers as she rested the other on his cheek. "I _know _how much Skye meant to you-better than even the rest of your team..." She explained. It was true. Phil hadn't told the rest of the team, but, he had long ago confided in her that he'd fallen in love with the young hacker. "That makes her important to **_me_**...And, you know what happens when someone takes something I care about away from me...Or more importantly, something someone I love cares about..."

Smiling gently, Phil knew all-too-well how vengeful his daughter could be. Particularly in a situation like this. Hell, if he were honest with himself, he knew that was part of why he'd asked for her help. "Thank you." He replied, softly, sincerely.

"Don't mention it." Kary replied, smiling sadly, before clearing her throat and shaking her head to clear her mind as she got back to business. "Now, while I'm downstairs with Quinn, Fitzsimmons is gonna get you into his room. Once you're in, hide until I give the signal. After that...just have fun with it..."

"Oh, trust me..." Phil replied, smiling dangerously. "I plan to..."

* * *

><p>Walking into the hotel's bar, Kary had to fight to contain her smile as she noticed that she had immediately drawn the attention of every man in the room. Spotting an empty seat at the bar next to Quinn, Kary mentally prepared herself as she strode across the room to the bar. "Champagne koktejl, prosím." She spoke, placing her drink order while watching Quinn from the corner of her eye.<p>

"Where is he?" Quinn asked, cockily, before turning to face the gorgeous woman next to him.

"I'm sorry?" Kary asked, laughing lightly. "What are you talking about?"

"You really expect me to believe a woman that can turn every head in the room arrives alone?" Quinn asked, smoothly.

"Believe what you want." Kary replied, never missing a beat as the bartender brought her drink. "Díky." She told the bartender before turning back to Quinn, sipping her drink as she finished her previous thought. "There's no guy."

As her target slid off of his stool to stand directly next to her, Kary had to fight tooth and nail to suppress the urge to vomit. "Well, that's a damn shame." He purred, instantly turning on the charm. _It's official..._Kary thought to herself. _All men-my father excluded-are pigs..._

"Is that so?" Kary replied, keeping up her flirtatious routine.

"In fact, it is." Ian Quinn replied, smiling flirtatiously. "Because I guarantee you...If I had a woman like you...I'd never let her out of my sight."

_Now, __**that**__, I believe..._Kary thought to herself. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to _get _a woman like me..." Kary countered, dropping her voice to her bedroom voice. "And, yet, I don't even know your name..."

Scoffing at the idea that somebody didn't know who he he was, Ian Quinn made his second stupid decision in twenty-four hours. "Come on..." He countered. "You don't recognize me?" Covering Kary's free hand with his own, Quinn added "Not even a little bit..."

"Hmm..." Kary purred, pretending to look him over, trying to identify him. "Well...Now that you mention it...You do look _sort _of familiar..." She conceded. "Have we met before?"

"No." Quinn chuckled. "But, I'm sure you've probably seen me before. Forbes, New York Times..."

"Sorry..." Kary replied. "I'm still drawin' a blank..."

"My name's Ian Quinn." Quinn replied, finally. He knew women always got off being hit on by someone with a big name like his. Surely, that would get him in her pants, by the end of the night.

"Oh, yes..." Kary hummed in feigned recognition. "You've done very well for yourself, haven't you?"

"I do all right." Quinn shrugged, feigning humility.

"So..." Kary began, sipping on her drink some more. "Where is she?" She asked, grinning, as she turned his own line around on him.

"I'm sorry?" Quinn asked, pretending he didn't know what she was talking about. "Where is who?"

"Come on." Kary scoffed. "You don't really expect me to believe someone of your wealth and influence-not to mention your looks-is here alone."

"What can I say?" Quinn asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I'm very selective."

* * *

><p>Listening in on the conversation between Karyleena and Quinn, Ward turned to Coulson as they set up camp in Quinn's suite. "God, this guy's pourin' it on thick, isn't he?"<p>

"You sure you really wanna hear this?" May asked, curiously. "Can't be easy sitting here, listening to your daughter flirting with someone like Quinn."

"She's good." Coulson countered, fighting against his own paternal instincts. "One of the best." Glancing around at his teammates, he finished "She knows what she's doing. She can take care of herself."

"Yeah, but, it's makin' **me **sick, just listening to this guy's crap." Ward replied, looking as if he may well be sick. Shuddering in disgust, he added "I can't believe women actually fall for his lines."

"It's not his lines they fall for..." May countered.

"Good point." The specialist conceded.

* * *

><p>"So, you know my name." Quinn purred. "But, I still don't know yours."<p>

"And, yet, you're still hitting on me." Kary pointed out, not missing a beat. Catching the look in Quinn's eyes, she finally gave in. "I'm Chloe. Chloe Gellar."

"That's a beautiful name." Quinn replied, smiling flirtatiously. Setting his own drink aside, he figured it was time to get down to business. Delicious though the appetizer may be, he was starting to get hungry for his entree. "Tell ya what, Chloe." He began. "You seem like an intelligent young woman. I think you've pretty well figured out my intentions. What would it take to get you to accompany me to my suite for the evening?"

"Bold." Kary replied, setting her own drink down as well. "I always have been a sucker for a man that knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go after it." She purred as she pretended to think of something for him to do to get his way. "Tell ya what...I have this little game I like to play. I'll give you three guesses to try to guess things-personal things-about me. Get two right, and I'll go with you to your suite, right here, right now. If not...Better luck, next time." She suggested. "Whaddaya say? Think you're up to the challenge?"

Grinning wickedly, Quinn knew he had this woman right where he wanted her. "I do love a good brainteaser." He countered. "You're on."

"All right, then." Kary replied, downing the rest of her drink. God knows, if she was gonna keep pretending to be attracted to this loathsome son of a bitch, she'd need all the liquid courage she could get. _Plus, he looks like he likes 'em drunk..._She thought to herself, assessing Ian Quinn's sexual preferences. "Guess number one. Take your best shot."

Nodding, Quinn decided to go for the obvious choice, first. "Well, first of all, everything about your appearance, this evening, is screaming 'look at me'." He surmised. "That dress you're wearing hugs every curve perfectly." He added, running his hand up the side of Kary's waist. "And, that lace leaves just enough to the imagination to be intriguing. And, those heels and that hemline only work to enhance what are already some _very _generous gifts from God." He purred. "So, I'm guessing you've just had a major fight with the boyfriend and you're here to make him insanely jealous. Which is why you didn't immediately throw your drink in my face the moment I started hitting on you."

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell..." Leo cringed as he watched the exchange between Kary and Quinn from the van, outside. "I think I'm going to be sick.."<p>

"Karyleena's bloody brilliant if she can make this bastard think she's actually falling for his bullshit." Jemma replied, stunning Leo with her uncharacteristically vulgar language. "Sorry." She quickly apologized, blushing slightly. "This guy just brings out the worst in me."

"Don't worry." Leo replied, rubbing her shoulder gently. "I think Ian Quinn could easily bring out the worst in any of us."

"All right, Mr. Quinn." Kary replied. "That's one down. Two more guesses to go." She added, keeping a perfect poker face before turning to the bartender. "Ještě jednu prosím."

"Really?" Quinn asked, smiling. "You're not even gonna tell me if I'm right or wrong?"

"Well, you don't really think I'm gonna make this easy for you, do you?" Kary replied, grinning wickedly, as she took a sip of her drink. "If you're gonna get anywhere with me, you're gonna have to work for it." She added, seductively.

"Playing hard to get." Quinn deduced. "I do love a challenge." He added.

"Well, then, Ian…" Kary replied, keeping her voice soft and sultry. "I do believe you may well have met your perfect match."

Any other time, Ian Quinn would have been suspicious of his luck, tonight. A gorgeous woman appears next to him at a bar and appears to be everything he loves in a woman. Strong...mysterious...drop-dead-sexy...and perfectly okay with hooking up and never seeing each other again. But, tonight, he was not thinking so clearly. "All right, then…"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe he's not on to her, yet." Jemma replied, anxiously watching the exchange between Kary and Quinn. It wasn't that she didn't have faith in the younger Coulson's skills. Any daughter of Phil Coulson's would have to be damn good at her job. She just expected better of Quinn, somehow.<p>

"I know." Fitz replied, eyes glued to the screen. "I would have thought that someone on The Clairvoyant's payroll would be more on top of their game."

"I guess it's true what they say." Jemma shrugged. "All men really are pigs." She added. Turning to face Fitz, she realized what she'd said as she took in the indignant expression on his face. "Present company excluded, of course." She amended, quickly, blushing slightly with embarrassment.

"I should certainly hope so." Fitz insisted before they fell back into a tense silence as they watched the exchange before them.

* * *

><p>"For my second guess..." Quinn began, studying Kary closely. "I'm gonna go for the family card." He decided. "Mother died young, leaving your father to raise you on his own. Being a single parent, he had to work twice as hard to make ends meet and wasn't home with you much. So, now, you seek out the affection of men that remind you of your father to replace the affection your father was never there to give you." He added, taking another sip of his forgotten drink. "You were also very sheltered by an older brother-thus explaining your sexually adventurous nature."<p>

"Bold." Kary gave Quinn points for going after the 'sexually adventurous' card. "That's two guesses down. One more guess left." She warned. "Choose wisely."

"All right, then..." Quinn replied, barely able to contain his excitement. "For my final guess, I'm just gonna go for broke." He decided. "You're drinking champagne cocktails, but, your attitude suggests to me you're really more of a beer girl. Which tells me that you are one hell of a firecracker in bed." He purred in Kary's ear.

* * *

><p>"That's it." Ward decided, feigning nausea. "I'm <strong>definitely<strong> gonna be sick." He added, earning a swift swat from the pilot next to him and a warning glare from Coulson. "I'm sorry, but, this guy's beyond full of it." He added, quietly.

* * *

><p>"Definitely bold to go after a woman's performance in the bedroom." Kary grinned, devilishly, before setting her empty glass aside. "Well, Mr. Quinn. Congratulations. I'm officially impressed." She declared. "And, that's not easy by any stretch of the imagination." She added, playfully. "Now, I'm not gonna pretend to know how you did it, but, you managed to go three for three. So, congratulations, you win." She added. "Though, I should warn you..." She warned, quirking an eyebrow as she stepped up to whisper in Quinn's ear. "I run the show, in bed." Karyleena purred seductively, grinning wickedly as Quinn's knees buckled in anticipation.<p>

"I think that could be arranged." Quinn replied, excitedly, extending his hand to Kary. "Well then, Ms. Gellar..." He began, in false chivalry. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Kary smiled, taking the proffered hand and following Quinn to his suite.

* * *

><p>"All right, Agent Coulson." Leo warned, through the comm links. "Kary and Quinn are on the move."<p>

"They're on your way, now." Jemma added, close to biting her nails with anxiety. "They should be in the suite, any moment, now."

"All right, everyone." Coulson warned, quietly. "Game time." He added, tersely, drawing his weapon as the pilot and the specialist did the same. "Kary and Quinn are on the move...Comms are going silent until we hear the signal."

May and Ward silently nodded their agreement just as they heard the door to Quinn's suite opening.

* * *

><p>"Wow..." Kary observed, taking in the over-the-top luxury suite. "You really go all out, don't you?"<p>

"Well, anything worth doing is worth doing right, don't you think?" Quinn replied, flirtatiously, as he lead Kary into the bedroom.

* * *

><p>As his daughter and Quinn entered the bedroom, Coulson watched him like a hawk as Quinn pulled Kary into him as their lips crashed together. <em>Ward was right...<em>Coulson thought to himself. _This really is sickening..._He realized as he watched his daughter exchanging saliva with the man that had murdered the woman he loved.

* * *

><p>Snaking his hand up the back of Kary's dress Quinn expertly found the zipper, pulling it down, oh-so-slowly, as he opened the back up. Meanwhile, Kary's hands made quick work of his jacket and had already opened his shirt. "I love a woman that's good with her hands." He purred.<p>

"Oh yeah?" Kary breathed, throwing Quinn's shirt to the floor as she pushed him down on the bed. Straddling him on the bed, she maneuvered him back toward the headboard of the bed. Crushing their lips together, once more, Kary ground their hips together as she used the distraction to slip her hand into the nightstand where she pulled out a handful of zipties. Once she had Quinn's hands secured, she reared up to appreciate her handiwork as she set to work on his feet.

Realizing that he was restrained, Quinn grinned wickedly. "You weren't kidding when you said you like to be in control."

"And, you ain't seen nothin', yet." Kary purred, sliding off the bed.

* * *

><p><em>Oh, so, ya think you know me, now | Have you forgotten how | You would make me feel when you dragged my spirit down | But, thank you for the pain | It made me raise my game | And, I'm still risin', I'm still risin'<em>

_Yeah_

_So make your jokes | Go for broke | Blow your smoke | You're not alone | But, who's laughin' now | But, who's laughin' now | So, raise the bar | Hit me hard | Play your cards | Be a star | But, who's laughin' now | But, who's laughin' now_

* * *

><p>Turning to May and Ward, Coulson made a swift hand gesture as the trio burst out of their respective hiding places, effectively startling Mr. Ian Quinn who looked around the room in a moment of panic as his eyes landed on Kary who was already redressed in her dress and heels as she caught the pistol tossed to her by Agent Phil Coulson.<p>

"Oh yeah..." Kary grinned, aiming her gun at Quinn's head. "_That's_ what I forgot to mention." She taunted, stepping closer to the bed as her father and his teammates swarmed the foot and either side of the bed. "My name's not Chloe."

"Yeah, I sorta got that." Quinn deduced, turning to face Kary. "So, who are you, _really_?"

"Special Agent Karyleena Coulson." Kary identified herself, smugly, as she cocked her gun.

"Coulson-" The four S.H.I.E.L.D. agents could all see the gears turning in Quinn's head.

"That's right, Mr. Quinn." Phil interjected, proudly. "Karyleena's my daughter."

"Well, she was certainly no daddy's little angel, toni-GAH!" Two simultaneous fired, hitting their mark, right between Quinn's legs. "What the hell?!" He demanded.

Turning to his right, Phil shared a knowing smirk with his daughter. "'At's my girl." He smiled, knowing that his daughter had fired the other shot.

"So...Agent Coulson..." Quinn began, turning to Phil as the pain in his groin began to recede to a point that he could ignore it. "You brought your daughter in to replace your beloved hacker...How-" Quinn was interrupted mid-taunt as he was pistol-whipped by the senior agent a second time since shooting Skye. Cracking and popping could be heard as he worked his jaw open to continue baiting the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. "You hear to kill me, Coulson?"

"Initially, yes..." Karyleena cut her father off before he could respond. "By the by..." She added, turning to Phil. "Just an FYI, there is not enough Listerine _in the __**WORLD **_to get the taste of this asswipe out of my mouth!" She elaborated, point-blank.

"Noted." Phil replied, with a small knowing smirk on his face.

"That being said, Mr. Quinn..." Kary added, turning back to the half-naked man tied to the bed. "I've had a last-second change of heart..." Watching her father and his team looking at her as if she'd grown a second head, the senior agent added "Instead of just letting daddy-dearest and his buddies have at you...I'll give you one chance to save your pathetic ass."

"I'm listening." Quinn replied, intrigued.

"You tell my father and his team who you work for-and, so help me _**GOD**_, if you say 'The Clairvoyant', I will do my very best to give you a **sex change operation**..." Kary began, dangerously. "...And, you can live out the rest of your days completely isolated away from the rest of civilization-where your little buddies can't come to your rescue..." She elaborated, smugly, kneeling on the bed, straddling Quinn once more, with the business end of her pistol pressed firmly against the underside of his jaw. "Or...if you don't wanna tell us what we wanna know..." She purred, venomously. "You'll be **begging **for the same end you brought Skye to."

"What's it gonna be, Quinn?" Phil asked, quirking a challenging eyebrow.

Glancing around the room at the spies surrounding his bed, Quinn knew he wasn't walking away from this meeting alive, regardless what he chose. Even if the Coulsons and their team let him walk, The Clairvoyant never would. "I'll take my chances." Quinn hissed, immediately feeling Kary's pistol across his face as the entire group heard an audible crack of a human nose breaking. Setting her weapon aside, Karyleena leaned down, gripping Quinn's face harshly in her hand as she took a sick sense of pride the gagging sound of Quinn choking on his own blood.

"Have it your way, then." Kary purred, dangerously, as a wicked expression ghosted over her face as she violently released her grip on Quinn's face before climbing off of him. Reclaiming her weapon, Kary paused at her father's side. "He's all yours."

"You sure you don't want a piece of the action?" Coulson asked, curiously. This didn't seem like the Karyleena he knew.

"I've had my fun." Kary shrugged, lightly. "Besides..." She added, before leaning in to whisper in her father's ear. "He's stolen far more from you than he has from me." Leaning back, she spoke back up as she turned to Quinn before speaking to the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. "Don't feel obligated to hold back. I want this loathsome son of a bitch to _**suffer**_..." And, with that, Kary tucked her weapon away in her clutch as she sashayed out of the suite to return to The Bus.

"Agent Ward." Coulson nodded to the specialist who understood the unspoken invitation as he took his turn pistol-whipping Quinn before pulling a small pocket knife out of his pocket. Standing over Quinn's chest, the specialist began carving a specific pattern.

* * *

><p><em>MURDERER<em>

* * *

><p>Each slice made by the blade burned like acid. But, even Quinn knew this was far too tame for what he'd done. Just when he thought the specialist was finished, he began a second word.<p>

* * *

><p><em>COWARD<em>

* * *

><p>Satisfied with his handiwork, Ward passed the knife to May while Coulson kept watch over the whole thing with his gun pointed straight between Quinn's eyes. Taking the knife from Ward, May discarded the knife by throwing it like a dart and sticking it right in the headboard <em>just <em>above Quinn's head. Instead, she first stepped up to Quinn's right hand as she took the thumb in her hand. With a murderous smile on her face, she gave the digit a swift _twist _causing Quinn to scream out in pain. The pained cry was soon met with a pillow shoved his face, agitating his already broken nose. Sinfully satisfied with the pained cry, the pilot repeated the process the index finger. Savoring each cry, the agent continued snapping each of Quinn's fingers in her bare hands. Once she'd finished with the right hand, she moved around the bed to repeat the process with the left.

Meanwhile, Coulson watched the man squirming and writhing in pain on the bed, tangling himself in the bloodstained sheets, with an unsettling sense of satisfaction. Part of him didn't recognize himself, in that moment. But, he had to admit that the part of him that would have put a stop to his died with Skye. Without being able to inflict the same level of suffering on Quinn that he, himself, had endured, Coulson accepted this as the next best thing and allowed his teammates the chance to exact their revenge.

* * *

><p>"Do you regret not joining them?" Leo asked, carefully, as he took Jemma's hand in his.<p>

That was a good question. Sure, part of Jemma wished she was there exacting her revenge on the man that had stolen the young hacker she had grown to love like a sister. But, the intellectual side of her knew that nothing she could ever do would ever hold a candle to the pain Coulson, May, and Ward could inflict upon Quinn. "No." She replied, simply, giving Leo's hand a grateful squeeze. "Agents Coulson, May, and Ward can inflict far more pain upon Ian Quinn than you or I ever could."

* * *

><p>With the last of Quinn's fingers satisfactorily broken, May turned to Coulson. "Your turn." She deadpanned with a sick sense of pride gleaming in her eyes.<p>

Nodding, Phil lowered his weapon as he moved to stand at the head of the bed. "You know..." He began, taunting Quinn. "From the moment that you stole Skye from us...I've thought of a million ways that I'd love to hurt you..." Phil began, a murderous tone to his voice that even he didn't recognize as his own. "...to break you..." He drawled, evilly. "But, then, I realized...There's really only one way to deliver true poetic justice, here..." He added, raising his weapon, aiming it Quinn's chest and pulling the trigger. Watching the man sputter and cough up mouthfuls of blood, Phil watched the life bleeding out of Quinn and staining the once snow-white silk sheets. Pressing the directly to Quinn's chest, he leaned in to whisper directly into Quinn's ear as he pulled the trigger a second time. "That was for Skye." He whispered, darkly, rising back to his full height as he turned to May and Ward. "We're done, here."

Realizing that nothing more needed to be said or done, in that moment, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team all filed out of the bedroom, leaving Ian Quinn to die, wrapped in sheets stained with his own blood. They all knew the unspoken truth. Ian Quinn may have escaped their grasp once. He would not be so lucky a second time. Satisfied that they had seen justice for their fallen friend, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team silently took their leave as they left the hotel, entirely unnoticed by all the drunken party-goers in the hotel.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**Okay, wow, that turned out a _lot _longer than I expected. I'm not really sure how I feel about the justice for Skye. But, I knew I definitely wanted him to die the same way that he'd killed Skye. That's always been my point of view. Killers need to be sentenced to death and the manner of death needs to be the same as their victims. Anyway, stepping off my soapbox, now. I hope you've all enjoyed my little offering. Not sure why I decided to bring in Coulson's daughter. It was just something that occurred to me at work, the other day, and has been driving me crazy ever since. I hope y'all liked the honey trap!

~Skye Coulson


	4. I Miss Her

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>As always, I own nothing!

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Jessie J "I Miss Her"

* * *

><p><span>I Miss Her<span>

* * *

><p><em>It's not fair | I'm talkin' to You upstairs | Are you there | You know I care | So, please don't tell me this is an empty prayer | Oh, no<em>

_I miss her | Even though she's still here | You need to listen | Don't let her disappear | I'll give her my forever | If it meant for a day, she could really be okay | 'Cause I miss her | Even though she's still here_

_And, promise me this | When she goes | Everything she sees will set her free | Thirteen and the color green | Promise me this | That she knows | That the people that she loves | Will love her in the skies above_

* * *

><p>Descending the stairway to the gym, Melinda May silently watched as her old friend and boss took out his anger and frustrations on the punching bag. Losing Skye had been a devastating blow to all of them. But, they all knew that Coulson had taken it the hardest. Whether he was aware of it or not, they all knew of the senior agent's feelings toward their hacker. One could not live and work on a plane full of spies without their secrets getting out-voluntarily or otherwise. As the senior agent seemed to run out of steam, the pilot descended the rest of the stairway to join him.<p>

"Not a word." Phil ground out as he reached for his water bottle. Knowing the pilot as well as he did, he knew there was a reason for her showing up in the gym with him, unannounced.

"Wasn't planning on it." Agent Melinda May replied, stoically, with just the very beginnings of the ghost of a smirk playing across her face. "I just came down here to inform you that we'll be landing at HQ in twenty minutes." She deadpanned. "Director Fury would like to speak with you when we arrive."

"Aw, hell..." Coulson muttered, under his breath. He knew exactly what the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted with him. "We took a major piece off the game-board." Coulson argued, pointedly. "Does it really **matter **_how _we did it?!"

"Apparently, it does..." Melinda replied, snidely, before turning to return to her cockpit, leaving the senior agent alone with his thoughts, once again. Stripping his hands, he grabbed his water bottle before ascending the stairs, returning to his bunk for a shower before they arrived at HQ.

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, sir?" Director Fury turned, in his chair, to face the source of the voice that had addressed him. It took everything the Director had within him to hold back the proud smile as he took in his handiwork. Admittedly, Ward and Coulson-their entire team, really-had done a lot of the heavy-lifting without even knowing it. The young, Chinese-American woman stood before him, standing tall and proud with a stoic look upon her face with her ebony hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail behind her. Taking her entire form in, the Director noted the rigid posture-feet shoulder width apart, hands folded together on the small of her back...<em>Coulson'd be <em>damn _proud if he could see her, now..._Fury decided.

"Skye..." Fury greeted, stoically, though just the slightest hint of his pride bled through into his voice as he addressed the young hacker. "I assume Agent Hill informed you of why you were in Hawaii for so long?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Skye replied, voice firm and confident, sounding every bit the part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent she longed to become. "She told me it was for my own protection while S.H.I.E.L.D. dealt with Ian Quinn." The young hacker replied, sounding more like a robot as she repeated the information she'd been fed to account for the time she'd actually been in her medically induced coma after her death. "They were concerned that, if Quinn had known that I survived, he might come back to finish the job."

"That's correct." Fury replied, glad to see that their hard work had paid off. "However, there has been a new development in the Ian Quin investigation which I thought should be brought to your attention." He elaborated, vaguely.

"Sir?" Skye asked, eyebrows furrowing, curiously.

"Ian Quinn is dead." Fury deadpanned, getting straight to the point as he pulled out a folder, before rising from his seat to hand the folder over to Skye. "These were taken, last night, in Quinn's suite in the Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech Republic." He elaborated as Skye examined the photos in the file.

Skye could barely conceal the knowing smirk on her face as she took in the photos before her. She knew it to be the work of her team. Though, the knowing sense of pride she felt soon gave way to a different emotion when she saw the words carved into Quinn's chest. "My teams believes me to be dead." She deduced.

"It was for your own protection." Fury explained, clinically. He never _liked _lying to his operatives-or, in this case-rather, the ones his operatives cared for. "The more people that knew of your survival, the more likely that word could get back to Quinn."

The discipline in Skye was slowly giving way to her anger with Fury for lying to her team. "That doesn't change the fact that we're a team." She argued, pointedly. "You had no right to lie to them!"

"Technically, we didn't." Fury pointed out. "You actually _did _die for all of eight seconds-"

"Forty." Skye corrected.

"The point is..." Fury added, jumping over the young hacker's correction. "You _did _die...We just didn't tell them that we were able to revive you." He added.

"Still doesn't make it okay..." Skye argued.

"Nevertheless..." Fury replied. "It's time for the rest of your team to be read in and, I thought you'd like to do the honors." He added, with a small smile.

"Thank you, sir." Skye replied, finally letting the smile break out across her face. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. She was finally going home.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a debriefing to get to..." Fury replied, smirking ever so slightly. "And, I do believe you have some packing to get to..." Nothing more needed to be said as the young hacker all but skipped out of the office, nearly running back to her barrack to get her things.

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see me, sir?" Phil greeted, stepping into the office with his boss, while mentally bracing himself for the tongue-lashing he knew he was in for after the Ian Quinn situation.<p>

"You've _really_ outdone yourself, this time, Phil..." Fury began, a distinct warning tone to his voice. "Not to mention dragging your own daughter-"

"Kary has nothing to do with this." Phil interjected, firmly. Phil Coulson had taken a lot of crap from the Director over the years. But, attacking his daughter for her actions in helping seek justice for the death of the woman he loved crossed a line. He couldn't allow Fury to go there and not come to his daughter's defense.

"Oh, I'm afraid she does, Coulson." Fury argued. "You brought her into this mess the moment you asked for her assistance." Stepping closer, Fury sneered "And, making her set a honey trap? What? Do you get off on watching your own _daughter_ having sex-"

"Go to hell." Phil seethed. His calm, disciplined facade shattered as Fury took one look into the agent's eyes which had turned ice blue-always a clear indicator to back the fuck off.

"Don't worry, Phil." Fury assured his senior agent. "Kary's not in any trouble. Frankly, neither are you." He added, watching the tension bleed from Phil's shoulders. "But, given the number you and your team did on him, I had to keep up appearances." The director explained, the ghost of a proud smile across his face. "That was a nice touch, by the way..." He added, pointing to the gun-shot wounds in Quinn's torso.

"Permission to speak, freely, sir?" Coulson asked, carefully.

"Of course." Fury replied, sincerely.

"As good as that felt, in the moment..." Phil began, sighing heavily. "Nothing will ever give me what I _truly _want..."

"Which is..." Fury replied, waving his hand to prompt Phil to finish the thought.

"Her." Phil replied, simply. In that moment, there was nothing more to say. Fury knew, immediately, **exactly** who Phil was talking about. _Oh, if only you knew..._Fury thought to himself, smugly, knowing that Skye would be waiting for Phil when he returned to The Bus.

* * *

><p>Skye physically jumped, as she began unpacking, when she heard a glass drop to the floor-shattering on impact-followed by a small scream. "Hey, Jemma..." She greeted, smiling, awkwardly. Not exactly how she planned to begin her explanations, but, hey...gotta start somewhere, right?<p>

"You-I-we-you were-they-your funeral-" Jemma stammered as her mind completely shut down when she laid eyes on her best friend-whom she'd previously thought dead-standing in her bunk, unpacking.

Crossing the room, Skye lightly gripped the bio-chemist's arms in her hands as she took mercy on the dumbfounded scientist. "Jemma. Breathe." She ordered, relaxing marginally as she watched the bio-chemist take deep, steadying breaths.

"What are you doing, here?" Jemma replied, still trying to wrap her mind around seeing her dead best friend. "How is this even possible?!" She demanded, tears stealing from her eyes.

Seeing her dear friend tearing up at her return, Skye felt tears pricking her own eyes, as well. "Well, it's a long story..." She began, guiding the young scientist onto the sofa with her. "But, basically...I died on the operating table, for-officially, eight seconds but, I say-forty seconds...And, they managed to restart my heart and brought me back..." She explained, sounding like a student reciting information from a text book. "Then, after I spent a few weeks in the recovery ward, they sent me into hiding in Hawaii while they went after Ian Quinn." The hacker elaborated. "The reason they didn't tell you guys that I was alive was because they were worried that Ian Quinn would find out and come back to finish the job."

"But, now that Ian Quinn is dead, you're allowed to come back?" Jemma deduced. However, in her mind, she couldn't help feeling like something was amiss in the hacker's story. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Precisely." Skye replied, smiling warmly.

"I just have one more question..." Jemma began, curiously.

"Shoot." Skye replied, still smiling.

"How was Hawaii?!" Jemma asked, excitedly.

"It's a magical place." Skye replied with a slightly less natural smile creeping onto her face. Before the bio-chemist could dwell on it too much longer, the hacker spoke again. "Have you seen Coulson?"

"He's at HQ..." Jemma replied, simply. "Director Fury wanted to speak with him regarding Ian Quinn's death."

Smirking slightly, Skye nodded knowingly as she replied "Oh yeah...Yeah, I saw the pictures...Kinda figured you all had a hand in that..."

"Yes, well..." Jemma replied, sheepishly. "Well, technically, that was Agents Coulson, May, Ward and...well, the _other_ Agent Coulson..."

"'The _other_ Agent Coulson'?!" Skye asked, curiously. "Just what the hell happened, around here, while I was gone?" She demanded, shell-shocked. "Last time _I _checked, there was only _one _Agent Coulson."

"The other Agent Coulson is Coulson's daughter, Special Agent Karyleena Coulson." Jemma replied, simply. "Agent Coulson enlisted her help after Ian Quinn escaped custody. She lured him into a honey trap and then let her father and Agents Ward and May have their fun." Skye had to admit. She was truly shocked by the bio-chemist's dark smile. "Fitz and I watched from a van outside."

"Wow..." Skye replied, still shell-shocked. "I had no idea Coulson had a daughter." She reasoned. "And, just what the hell is a honey trap, anyway?" She demanded, confused.

"Well..." Jemma began. "The way Kary explained it was that she basically had a couple of drinks with him, batted her eyelashes a bit, he took her up to his suite, she let him think that she was going to have sex with him and at the last moment, tied him to the bed and let her dad and Ward and May have their fun..."

"Wow..." Skye began, cheekily. "So, it's 'Kary' now?!" She chastised.

"That's just what she told us to call her..." Jemma replied, blushing guiltily. "...you know...to avoid confusion..."

"Right..." Skye drawled, cheekily. "So...Whaddaya say we clean this up and you keep this little secret between us..." Seeing the rebuttal building in Jemma's face, Skye quickly added "**_Just _**until I have the chance to speak with Coulson and read the rest of the team in, myself." Quirking an eyebrow, she added "Besides...Don't you think that if you went around telling everybody that I'm alive, they might think you'd lost it?"

"I think I can live with that..." Jemma decided as Skye rose from her seat to grab a broom and dustpan to clean up the shattered glass.

* * *

><p>Exhausted from the day's events, Phil Coulson wanted nothing more-when he walked back into his bunk-than a nice, hot, relaxing shower. Stepping into his bunk, he locked the door only to freeze when he heard a soft, warm, voice he'd never thought he'd hear again. "What's up, Phil?"<p>

Keeping his back turned to the source of the voice, Phil clamped his eyes shut, tight, as he whimpered "No...No, this...This isn't real...It _can't _be real…" His eyes remained closed, as he spoke, in a feeble attempt to ward off the tears threatening to fall. After all that had happened, this was just something he was not prepared to face.

Skye had told herself that Phil's reaction-along with those of the rest of the team-would be difficult to handle. She just wasn't prepared for the broken shell of a man standing before her with his back turned to her. Finally unable to take the sight, any longer, she rose from her seat on the edge of his bed, and moved to stand behind him. Her hands first landed on his shoulders before ever so slowly sliding down his arms as she gradually enveloped him in her embrace, pressing her chest flush against his back.

As good as it felt to have the arms of the woman he'd loved wrapped around him, Phil knew it wasn't real. It _couldn't _be real. Skye was dead. He'd watched them lay her in the ground. This was just his mind's sick idea of sadistic torture. "No…" He whimpered, shakily, refusing to allow himself to become engulfed in his own misery, yet again. "This isn't real…" His resolve was waning. He knew, in his heart that he _wanted _this to be real. More than he'd ever wanted anything in his **life**, he knew he wanted-no, he _**needed**_-this to be real. And, it would be so easy to let himself believe it.

"It is…" Skye whispered, warmly, in his ear as she buried her face in the crook of his neck for a moment. In that moment, she allowed herself the opportunity to just breathe in the scent that was purely Phil Coulson. "It _is _real…" She reasserted. "I'm here."

Unable to stand the illusion, any longer, Phil whirled around in the young hacker's arms, so fast he nearly knocked her over. The wild panic in the senior agent's baby blue eyes was overwhelming and left Skye utterly speechless. She hadn't realized the full effect that her death had had on her mentor and the man that she secretly fallen for. Seeing the sheer, unadulterated pain in the baby blue orbs, she physically ached for the pain that the man she loved had been in. "You're dead." He muttered, shakily, as Skye watched the first tears stealing from his eyes as she gently reached up to wipe them away. "We all watched them lay you in the ground..." He argued, weakly, staring at the young woman before him, numbly.

Gently cradling Phil's face in her hands, Skye continued tenderly wiping the tears from his eyes as she forced him to look her straight in the eye as she spoke. "Technically, no." She argued, gently. "You watched them lay an empty casket in the ground." She corrected. "And, you're...not wrong...I _was _dead..." The hacker conceded. "For all of forty seconds." She added, smirking ever so slightly. "Well, the official record says eight...But, I was there. Trust me, it was forty."

Listening to the hacker's story, Phil couldn't deny the similarities between his and hers. In that moment, Phil Coulson knew he had never hoped and prayed so hard to be wrong, in his life. He desperately hoped that Skye hadn't been dragged through the same hell he'd been in when he'd been brought back. But, he had to put that on the back burner for the moment. Right now, he had more pressing questions. "They told us you died. They let us _keep _believing that up until this very moment." He argued, more confused than angry. "How?! Why did they lie?"

Dropping her hands to his chest, Skye busied herself with his lapels for a moment before she replied "To protect me."

Still confused, Phil reached up to lightly grip her arms in his hands for fear that he'd been right all along and that this was all some sort of dream or fantasy and she would disappear at any moment. "Protect you from what?" He asked, softly.

"Ian Quinn." Skye replied, simply, bringing his arms the rest of the way to wrap around her. "They were worried that if word got back to him that I was still alive, he might come back to try to finish the job." She elaborated, her voice remaining soft and warm.

"We could have protected you." Phil argued, weakly. "We would have kept you safe." He didn't know why he was arguing. God knew it wasn't Skye's decision to hide the truth from them. He guessed he just needed to say it.

"I know." Skye replied, gently. "I know you all would have moved Heaven and Earth to keep me safe." She reasserted. "I didn't even _know _they'd lied to you until this morning when Fury brought me into his office to tell me that Ian Quinn was dead and that I was coming back here, with you all." Smirking, mischievously, she added "I saw the pictures, by the way...Nice touches..."

"How'd you know...?" Phil asked, weakly. Though, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he should have known that Skye would recognize her own team's handiwork when she saw it. Plus, he really should have known she would expect them to seek revenge after one of their own had been shot-whether they'd known she'd survived or not.

"Well, first of all..." Skye began, grinning wickedly. "The words 'Murderer' and 'Coward' carved into Quinn's chest had Ward's handwriting written all over them...And the broken fingers screamed May...And, I _**know**_ you had your hands _all over_ the poetic justice of the two gunshot wounds to his chest." The young hacker deduced, proudly. "The only thing I _can't _work out was the gunshots on his...shall we call it his manhood?" She added, cheekily.

Despite himself and the situation, Phil had to chuckle at the last comment. "That was me, too..." He began. "And, my daughter..." He added, sheepishly.

"Yeah, Jemma told me all about Kary and her honey trap." Skye smiled, warmly. Mulling the plan over in her head, Skye replied, approvingly, "I like the way your daughter thinks." But, then, another thought occurred to her. "But, that couldn't have been easy for you...Watching Kary hit on Quinn." She added, understanding how hard it had to have been for Phil to watch Kary working Quinn.

"She's a professional." Phil replied, simply. "She knew what she was doing. I knew she could take care of herself."

"Yeah, but, still..." Skye argued. "It still can't be easy for any father to watch his daughter in any sort of sexual situation..."

"Normally, yes..." Phil conceded. "But, there extenuating circumstances at play..." He added, quirking a playful eyebrow. "Namely taking down Ian Quinn." Sighing heavily, Phil knew he had to voice the question still weighing on his mind. "Is all of this really happening, right now, Skye?" Pulling her flush against him, he buried his face in the crook of her neck before adding "I'm so scared that this is all just some sort of dream that I'm gonna wake up from far too soon..." Once again, the tears began to spill forth from his eyes as his voice quivered and trembled with emotion. "And, I'm gonna lose you, all over, again...I barely survived the first time...I don't know if I could survive a second..."

Skye couldn't stand to see Phil this broken. The tears moistening her shirt broke her heart as she clung him for dear life. Burying her own face in his shoulder, her voice was muffled as she replied, shakily. "Yes...Yes, Phil...I'm really here...Holding you..." Pulling away just far enough to look him in the eyes, Skye took his right hand in hers as she pressed his hand over her chest-just over her heart-as she continued. "And, very much alive."

Phil smiled, softly, as he felt the steady rhythm of Skye's heartbeat under his hand. Somehow, the warm, vehement tone in her voice and the sensation of her heart beating underneath his hand made it all real for the senior agent. Which left only one question unanswered. "So, then...Does this mean you're here to stay?" He asked, knowing his voice was a little more hopeful than he would have liked. But, at the moment, he was so overcome with joy and relief that he just didn't have it in him to care.

Finally, the warm smile spread the rest of the way across her face as Skye replied, simply, "Yes." Playfully nudging the senior agent, she added "You didn't really think you were gonna get rid of me, that easily, did you?"

Skye was back and here to stay. Those seven little words left Phil feeling torn. Granted, he was over the moon to have the woman he loved back in his life. But, at what cost? He was reasonably certain that Fury had done to her the same thing he'd done to him after the battle of New York. But, without concrete evidence, he decided it was best not to dwell on the negative. As long as Skye was back and she was happy, Phil knew he could live with that. "No..." Phil replied, warmly, gently stroking her upper arms with his thumbs. "No, I suppose not." He finished with a small, warm, smile.

Backing away, ever so slightly, Skye noted the momentary look of ever-so-slight panic in Phil piercing blue eyes. "Come on..." She prompted, gently. "So far, only you and Jemma know that I'm back..." She elaborated, gently tugging Phil's hand to lead him out of the room. "I think it's time we let the others in on the secret, too..." Smirking wickedly, she added "I made Jemma promise to let me tell everyone, myself, and I'm not sure how much longer she can _keep _that promise..."

_So, it _is _real._ Phil decided. Skye was really back and here to stay. This wasn't just some torturously sweet dream that he would wake from, far too soon. Deciding to just enjoy the moment, Phil smiled as he allowed the young hacker to lead him down to read the rest of the group in on their little secret.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**Okay, so, I cut it there because I felt like I was starting to ramble and if I added the rest of the group's reactions to the news of Skye's survival (or resurrection), then, the chapter would just end up being stupid long. So, I hope you all enjoy this little 9-page offering.

~Skye Coulson


	5. I'm Coming Home

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I own nothing.

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Boyce Avenue (feat DeStorm Power) "Coming Home"

* * *

><p><span>I'm Coming Home<span>

* * *

><p><em>I'm coming home | I'm coming home | Tell the world I'm coming home | Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday | I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes | I'm coming home | I'm coming home | Tell the world I'm coming home<em>

_Back where I belong, yeah, I've never felt so strong | (I'm back, baby) | I feel like there's nothing that I can't try | And, if you with me, put your hands high | (Put your hands high) | If you ever lost a light before, this one's for you | And, you, the dreams are for you_

* * *

><p>"So, you hear anything, at HQ, about Skye's replacement?" Ward asked, curiously, as Melinda joined him in the gym. Watching the exchange, Leo and Jemma exited the lab to join them. Taking in their scandalized expressions, the specialist added, defensively "What? We all knew the day would come when S.H.I.E.L.D. would send us someone to take Skye's place." He reasoned. "And, I heard some chatter that they were supposed to be boarding The Bus when we landed at HQ for Coulson's debriefing. So, I don't know about the rest of you, but, I'm a little curious."<p>

"I hate to admit it..." Leo replied, reluctantly. "But, Ward's right. Our team is a man down and we all knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would want to rectify that situation. Personally, I'd like to see who they think will be able to take Skye's place." He added. "I mean, she left some pretty damn big shoes to fill." The rest of the team all knew the scientist had a point. Whoever S.H.I.E.L.D. sent to fill Skye's place on the team was coming in at a severe disadvantage. None of them saw themselves welcoming anyone on to the team, any way soon.

"_You've_ been suspiciously quiet during this conversation..." May pointed out, quirking an eyebrow at Jemma.. "Jemma..." She prompted, gently. "Do you know something?"

Squirming under the intense stares of her teammates, Jemma knew she had a horrible track record with lying. But, she also knew that Skye had a point. If she tried to tell the rest of the group that the young hacker was still alive-without her there, as evidence-they'd all think she'd officially lost her mind. So, she quickly devised a compromise to avoid outright lying while protecting Skye's secret. "Okay, fine..." She relinquished. "I..._might _have walked in on her while she was unpacking in Skye's bunk..." She conceded.

"'She'?" Ward repeated, turning the new intel over in his mind. "So, it's a woman..." He deduced. "What else can you tell us about her?"

"Did you get to talk to her?" Leo added, anxiously.

"Did she introduce herself?" May added.

All the questions being thrown at her, rapid-fire, were bombarding the bio-chemist. Finally holding her hands up to silence the barrage of questions, Jemma snapped "Enough!" Startled by the sudden outburst from the bio-chemist, the rest of the team immediately silenced their questions while Jemma took a breath to compose herself. "Yes, I _did _get to speak with her." She conceded, sensing another barrage of questions, she raised her hands once again to head them off at the pass. "_However_..." She added, indicating she was not finished speaking. "She has asked me not to say anything and to simply allow her to introduce herself to everyone." She finished, proudly. "I'm sure she will answer all of your questions, herself, when she's ready. But, for now, the least we could do is to afford her the opportunity to get settled, first."

Once again, the team knew Jemma was right. It wouldn't be right for them to bombard her all at once before she even got her things settled. Before any of them could say anything more on the matter, they all turned to glance at the stairs as they all watched their friend and mentor, Agent Phil Coulson, descending the staircase into the gym. "Oh, good." He declared, his voice holding a lighter, warmer tone than any of them had heard come from the senior agent since Skye's death. "You're all here."

* * *

><p>"So, how do you wanna play this?" Phil asked, cheekily, as they arrived at the top of the staircase leading down to the gym.<p>

"Hmm…" Skye hummed, thoughtfully, as she pondered all the options. "I think it might be fun to surprise them." She decided, grinning wickedly.

"Sounds like a plan, to me." Phil agreed before edging closer to the staircase. "I can actually hear them talking, now…" He added. "They're talking about Ward hearing some chatter about your replacement joining us, while I was at HQ, today…" Phil continued, in a slightly hushed tone as he relayed the gossip from downstairs to Skye.

"Really?" Skye asked, quietly, as she moved to stand next to Phil for a better listen. "What are they saying?"

"Jemma just told them that she met your replacement, earlier, and that 'she' wanted to be the one to introduce herself to everybody." Phil replied, keeping his voice low as he listened in on the rest of the team's conversation. No, eavesdropping on one's own team may not be _completely _ethical. But, damn, it sure could be fun. "I think I'll go down there, first, and prep them for you." He decided, mirroring Skye's previous wicked grin.

Skye nodded, excitedly, as she watched Phil descend the staircase ahead of her. She couldn't wait to see the looks on her teammates' faces when they found out she'd returned. Deep down, she knew their reactions may be rather emotional, but, she was reasonably certain they'd all be happy to have her back.

* * *

><p>"Okay, everybody, settle down." Phil ordered, gently, as he reached the gym, stepping into the middle of the small huddle of people.<p>

"Sir, do _you _know anything about Skye's replacement?" Ward, asked, anxiously. He was eager to meet the person S.H.I.E.L.D. deemed fit to replace his trainee.

"Now that you mention it, Agent Ward…" Phil began, steadfastly keeping his voice at a professionally disinterested tone. "I actually just met with her."

"Well?!" Leo demanded, nearly ready to burst with anxiety. "Who is she?! What's she like?!"

"Calm down, Leo." Phil replied, trying to quiet the scientist's anxiety. "Why don't I just have her come down, here, and answer all of your questions, herself?" He added.

* * *

><p><em> Well, that's my cue...<em>Skye told herself, as she took a steadying breath before beginning her descent down the staircase. _Now, or never! _She told herself as she made her way down the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Oh." Leo stated, dumbly, as he watched the hacker he'd previously believed dead descending the staircase into the gym.<p>

"My." Grant added, staring just as dumbly.

"God." Melinda finished, numbly, before every one of her defenses shattered as she lunged across the room, throwing her arms around the young hacker in a highly uncharacteristic display of emotion.

"Oh." Skye declared, caught off-guard by the pilot's unusual display as she nearly knocked her over with the force of her hug. "O-kay." She added, as the pilot clung to her for dear life. "Hi, May." She offered, awkwardly, as the pilot silently cried into her shoulder. Feeling the growing damp spot on her shirt, Skye finally realized just how deeply her 'death' had affected the entire team. All along, she'd thought the pilot hated her. Or, if not 'hated', strongly disliked. But, here she was, silently crying her eyes out on the young hacker's shoulder. Moved by the sudden revelation, she wrapped her own arms around the older woman as she softened her voice. "I missed you, too, May."

Watching the sentimental display, Phil was relieved to finally see the stoic pilot finally letting her guard down and allowing herself to actually _feel_ for once. The display between the two women brought a small, warm, smile to his face as the pilot finally composed herself enough to let go of the hacker as she stepped back into her previous spot.

Leo was next, though, his movements were slower and didn't threaten to knock Skye off her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he spoke, gently. "You've no _idea _how great it is to see you, again."

Wrapping her own arms around the scientist, Skye smiled as she replied "Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea." Stepping back, Leo decided to allow Skye the chance to explain her sudden resurrection.

"Hey, guys..." Skye drawled, awkwardly, not really sure where to begin.

"What the hell's goin' on, here?!" Grant demanded, shifting his glance almost frantically between Phil and Skye. "Just what the hell are you tryin' to pull?!" He asked, closing in on Phil.

Stepping in between Phil and Grant, Skye knew she had to protect the senior agent from the specialist's wrath. "Grant, just take a pill, okay?!" She interjected, halting the specialist's movements. "Coulson had _nothing_ _to do_ with this." Skye insisted. "Okay?! **He **didn't even know, _himself_, until like...five minutes ago!"

"But, what _is _going on, here?" Leo asked, helplessly, as he desperately tried to wrap his mind around the hacker's revelation.

"Look, I know they told you all that I died..." Skye began, deciding just to start at the beginning. "Which, technically, I did." She conceded. "But, what they didn't tell you was that they revived me-according to the official record, anyway-eight seconds, later. But, I was there...Trust me, it was more like forty." She injected, casually, before shaking her head, lightly, as she got back on track. "But, anyway...They decided it would be safer for me to just stay dead, so, they let you all think that to protect me-"

"Protect you from what?" Grant demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. Something was amiss about Skye's voice. It had suddenly changed to an almost robotic monotone as she described her return.

"From Ian Quinn." Skye replied, in the same, haunting, monotone. "S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want word getting back to him that I was alive-afraid he might come back to try and finish the job." She explained. "So, after I recovered, they sent me into hiding in Hawaii." The small smirk that graced her face wasn't _quite _natural as she added "It's a magical place. Definitely not the _worst _place to hide out."

The moment he heard the words 'It's a magical place', Phil would have sworn his heart actually **stopped**. _I knew it..._He thought to himself. The thought to say something occurred to him, but, he just didn't have the heart to spoil this moment with the truth. Instead, all he could do was to hope and pray that S.H.I.E.L.D. had perfected their techniques so that she would never have to know the truth.

"Still doesn't make it okay for them to lie to our _faces_ about it." Grant huffed, gruffly, clearly unhappy with the agency's decision.

"Ward's right." May interjected, finally having dried the last of her tears. "At the end of the day, we're still a team." She reasoned. "We should have been read in."

"For once, I actually agree with you, May." Skye replied, some of her natural snark returning to her voice, eliciting the smallest ghost of a smile from the pilot's countenance. "But, the decision wasn't mine to make." She sighed, lightly. "I didn't even **know **they'd lied to you until Fury told me about Ian Quinn's death, this morning. I knew you all had your hands in it, the moment Fury showed me the pictures." She finished with a knowing smirk.

Deciding it would be best to just let go of his anger, Ward unfolded his arms as he asked, "What gave it away?" He asked, with an ever-so-slight smirk.

Returning the smirk, Skye explained "Well, the words carved into Quinn's chest had **your **handwriting all over them..." She paused to indicate the specialist. "And, I know May had her hands all over the broken fingers." She paused to smirk at the pilot who returned the smirk with a wicked grin. "And, last but most **definitely** _not _least, the poetic justice of the two gunshot wounds to Quinn's chest had Coulson's name written _all over _them..." The rest of the team turned to see Coulson smiling impishly.

"So, does this mean you're here to stay?" Leo asked, hopefully.

Smiling excitedly, Skye replied "But, of course. You guys didn't really think you could get rid of me _that _easily, did you?" She asked, mirroring her prior reaction to the same question from Phil.

"It's good to have you back Skye." May replied, her voice uncharacteristically soft and warm.

"Seconded." Ward agreed, smiling warmly.

"Third...ed..." Leo offered, awkwardly. "I...eh...You know what I mean." He amended, lamely.

The rest of the group couldn't resist the small chuckle at the young scientist's awkward response. Finally unable to take it any longer, Grant crossed the room to wrap the young hacker in his arms. "For what it's worth..." He began, smiling softly. "It's damn good to know all the work I put into you didn't go to waste."

"Like I said, before..." Skye began, smiling against her supervising officer's chest. "You're not getting rid of me, that easy..."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**I hope y'all enjoyed this little offering. Next chapter, we start delving a little deeper into what _really _happened to Skye after she died. :D

~Skye Coulson


	6. Together, We Can Breathe

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>As always, I own nothing.

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Jessie J "Breathe"

* * *

><p><span>Together, We Can Breathe<span>

* * *

><p><em>So, together, we can breathe | I wanna give you all of me | Open up your eyes and love me | Love me | Love me | When I'm fallin' to my knees | I wanna give you all of me | You don't have to take care of me | Of me | Of me | Together we can breathe | Ooh-ooh-ooh | Ooh-ooh-ooh | Love me | Love me<em>

* * *

><p><em>"This is wrong!"<em> Skye could hear a male voice screaming, though, it sounded as though it was far off in the distance. Her mind was so clouded with pain she couldn't think. All she could register was the feeling of millions of needles poking around her brain, slicing, carving, shaping.

_God, I just wanna die..._ Skye thought to herself as pained tears streamed freely down her face. The pain was so ungodly, all Skye could do was to pray for the blackness to take hold, once again and swallow her whole once more. _Just let me die, please. For the love of _**_GOD_**_, just let me die!_

_ "__The hell with Fury!" _There was the male voice again. _"Throw my ass under the bus, I don't give a good God-damn!" He screamed. "Just-for the love of all that's good and holy-listen to her!" _He screamed. That was when it struck Skye that she'd spoken her private thoughts aloud.

Unable to stand it any longer, she began desperately crying for help. "COULSON!" She screamed, calling out for the one person she knew would always be there for her when she needed him. "COULSON! HELP ME! HELP ME, PLEASE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

><p>After tossing and turning for hours in his bed, Phil Coulson threw the blankets off of himself as he finally gave up on the notion of sleep altogether. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he rose to his feet as he crossed the bunk to wrap his black cotton robe around himself as he began to make his way down to the bar. However, the moment he opened the door. The senior agent took off at a dead run, taking the stairs two at a time, when he heard the hacktivist screaming out for him.<p>

"Agent Coulson-" Jemma Simmons began, hesitantly, as their fearless leader nearly bowled her over in his frantic attempt to get to Skye. The concern written in his baby blue eyes nearly took her breath away as he finally reached the hacktivist's door, throwing it open as the rest of the team watched the exchange from a distance.

Entering the bunk, Phil threw caution to the wind as he laid himself down next to her, holding her body against his to halt the thrashing as he stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her and bring her back to reality. "Come back, come back, come back…" He whispered, quietly, keeping his voice calm and reassuring. "You're okay. You're safe. I've got you…"

Watching the senior agent cradling the hacktivist in his arms, the rest of the team felt their hearts breaking in their chests. "We shouldn't be here…" Melinda May observed, quietly. The rest of the team knew she was right. This was a private moment meant to be shared by only the two of them. Silently agreeing with their stoic pilot, they all dispersed, back to their bunks.

"Shh-shh…" Phil cooed, as the hacktivist's tremors slowed to a stop. "That's it...Just relax…" He whispered as Skye's body finally relaxed into him as he continued stroking her hair. After another couple of moments, the senior agent watched as her beautiful doe eyes flew open, scanning the room, wildly. "It's okay…" He reiterated, gently.

Wrenching herself out of Phil's arms, Skye sat bolt upright in her bed, catching her breath. "What just happened?" She asked, more to herself, as she tried to process the situation. Turning to Phil as he sat up next to her. "What are you doing here? In my bed?" She asked, her eyes still wild with panic.

"You had a nightmare." Phil replied, gently. "You were screaming for me. I came to calm you down." He explained, keeping his voice at the same soft, warm, tone.

"I-I'm sorry…" Skye muttered, shakily, as she struggled to bring her heart rate back to a normal rhythm. "I-I didn't mean to wake you…I shouldn't-"

"Hey…" Phil interjected, gently. "Never apologize for having a natural response to a traumatic event." He added, tenderly, wrapping her back in his arms, cradling her head against his chest.

Clinging desperately to Phil's chest, Skye replied, softly "Thanks..." Pulling away, slightly, she looked up into his eyes as she added "For everything..." Laughing at herself and her over-reaction to her nightmare, she looked down at her hands as she apologized "I'm still sorry, by the way..." She mumbled, self-consciously. "Ya know...for waking you."

Smirking, slightly, Phil replied "I wouldn't feel too bad about that, if I were you..." Taking her confused expression as a cue to elaborate, the senior agent replied "You didn't actually wake me...I was already awake. Couldn't sleep. I was on my way down to the bar for a drink when I heard you screaming." He added, smiling warmly.

"Oh..." Skye replied, nodding. "Well, then...I'm glad I didn't wake you..." She muttered, semi-awkwardly.

After a brief silence stretched over them-during which, Skye had allowed herself to relax back into Phil's welcoming arms while he gently lay back down with her head on his chest while wrapping his arms around her, absently stroking her hair while holding her protectively-Phil finally spoke. "You wanna talk about it?" He asked, carefully.

Skye, for her part, remained silent for a moment as she considered her answer to his question. She did _want _to talk about it. The only problem was that she didn't really **know **_what _she would be talking about. This had been the worst in a series of bizarre dreams that she'd been having ever since she'd returned home from Hawaii. The rest had all just been...confusing. This one terrified her. Finally nodding against her protector's chest, the hacktivist took a deep breath as she attempted to break down her nightmare for Phil. "It all started with me, laying face down on a massage table on the beach. This handsome guy was massaging my neck and back-occasionally asking me if I felt this or that..." Phil had to bite his tongue as he noticed the similarities in the nightmare that Skye was describing to his own nightmares of Tahiti. "It felt so good, I was actually starting to fall asleep on the table. I guess I must _have _fallen asleep, because I heard a woman asking if she should wake me up." Skye added, recalling as many details of her nightmare as she could. "That was when everything changed. Suddenly, everything was dark-I couldn't see anything. But, I heard a guy screaming 'This is wrong'...But, his voice sounded like he was far off in the distance-my mind was so clouded with pain..." The hacktivist recalled, shuddering slightly at the memory. "I guess I must have been screaming in the dream 'cause I heard the same guy shouting 'This is wrong. The hell with Fury. Throw my ass under the bus, I don't give a good God-damn. Just-for the love of all that's good and holy-listen to her.'..."

That was when Phil became even more certain he knew exactly what had been done to his beloved hacker. _That bastard's in for a __**world **__of hurt when I get my hands on him..._Phil thought to himself, already thinking of all the things he wanted to say to his boss the next time he saw him. At a loss for what to say to the frightened woman in his arms, all he could think to do was tighten his arms around her, hoping to make her feel safe and protected. "I'm _so _sorry, Skye..." He muttered, more for his benefit than for hers.

Curious, Skye shifted in Phil's arms to look him in the eye. "Sorry for what?" She asked, softly.

Coulson considered, for a moment, telling Skye the truth behind his resurrection. _Another story for another time, Coulson..._He told himself. "It's not important." He replied, dismissively. "You should try to get some sleep." He added, hoping to distract her from pressing the matter any further.

Gazing into the piercing blue eyes she'd grown to love so dearly, Skye knew there was something he wasn't telling her. But, he was right. She was dead tired and sleep sounded divine, at the moment. "You should, too." She replied, cheekily. But, she couldn't shake her nightmares and figured sleep would not come easy for either of them. "Will you stay with me?" She asked, a little more helplessly than she had intended to.

Grateful for the change of subject, Phil didn't even care how it looked for him to share a bed with one of his operatives. He could tell Skye needed him and he'd already failed her, once-and lost her as a result of that failure. He'd be damned if he'd fail her again. "Of course, I will." He swore, gently, smiling ever-so-softly as the hacker settled back into his arms with a contented smile on her face.

Watching the young woman in his arms slowly drifting back off to sleep, Phil made a mental note to speak with Fury about what he'd done to Skye. But, first, he knew it was time for him to face the music and read the rest of his team in on what he'd learned about the truth of his resurrection. And, about Skye's return as well. But, before he could do any of that, he knew he needed to speak with the hacktivist, alone, first. That was not a conversation he looked forward to having. _But, it can wait 'till morning..._He decided, as he took in the sight of the contented smile on Skye's face. He liked to think that he'd had something to do with that. Something about the feeling of having Skye in his arms brought a sense of peace to the agent that he hadn't felt in far too long as he drifted off to sleep with the same contented smile upon his own face.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**So, I decided to end this chapter, here, because...well, it just felt like a good place. Next chapter, Skye learns the truth about Coulson's resurrection and-subsequently-her own. And, yes, the physical scenes have begun! I didn't wanna jump in, head first. I wanted to ease them into it. I don't want their connection, in this story, to be purely sexual. I want there to be an actual, committed relationship as well. So, I'm building it, slowly. Besides, I figured that...as damaged as Skye and Coulson both are, I feel that they would both be cautious to jump into a relationship after everything that's happened. So, that's how I'm playing this. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed it! Don't forget to drop a review! :D

~Skye Coulson


	7. All These Lies You Made Me

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>I own nothing.

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Romance/Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Lennon "Done to Me"

* * *

><p><span>All These Lies You Made Me<span>

* * *

><p><em>Look what you've done to me | All these lies you made me | You've done to me | Left with nothing to believe | You've done to me | All these lies you made me | You've done to me | Left with nothing to believe<em>

* * *

><p>As the sun peeked through the window of Skye's bunk, Phil looked down to see the young woman in his arms fast asleep. Torn between leaving and letting her wake up alone and the worries of what she might think if she woke up to him in her bed, Phil finally decided to let his need for caffeine make the final call. Very carefully and gently disentangling himself from her, he couldn't resist the small smile as his hacker settled back into the blankets. Slipping silently out of his bunk, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly came face-to-face with their pilot, Agent Melinda May.<p>

"Long night?" The stoic pilot asked, quirking an eyebrow, suggestively.

"She was scared and didn't want to be alone." Phil replied, firmly, leaving no room for argument. "After everything she's been through, she needed some comfort." Pushing past the agent before him, Phil began to make his way into the galley with Melinda hot on his heels. "She needed me and I've already failed her once-and **lost **her as a result of that failure." He elaborated, as he set to work making the coffee for the rest of the team. "I won't fail her a second time."

The determination in Phil's piercing blue eyes told Melinda far more than his words ever would. "What do you mean 'everything she's been through'?" She asked, carefully, her voice calculated. His silence and refusal to meet her eyes told her more than she thought she wanted to know. "Phil?" She prodded again, hoping for a reaction.

"I think it's best I discuss that with the the whole team, together." Something was amiss in the senior agent's voice. "But, first, I have a few things I need to discuss with Skye in private."

As a knowing smirk played across her countenance, Melinda just walked away. "_Yeah_, you do..." She mumbled under her breath.

* * *

><p>Skye awoke not long after Phil had left. Stretching her tired limbs, she was mildly disappointed to find she'd woken up alone. But, she had known that Phil had spent the night with her as he'd promised. That was enough for her. Smiling gently to herself, she rose to a sitting position before rising from the bed. Slipping her robe over her shoulders and tying the belt around her waist, she smiled as the smell of fresh coffee hit her nose. The rest of the team appeared to still be in bed, and she figured that AC would be up in his lab. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she settled into one of the couches in the common area.<p>

Soon, she found herself joined by their resident bio-chemist, Jemma Simmons. "Morning, Jemma." She greeted, brightly, smiling at the science officer.

"Morning, Skye!" Jemma chirped, mirroring Skye's prior actions as she poured herself a cup of coffee, joining the hacker on the couch. After the two women sat in a comfortable silence, sipping their coffees, Jemma spoke again. "It's been great having you back, Skye."

Nodding, Skye took another sip of her coffee before replying "Believe me...It's even better to **be **back..." It was true. Hawaii had been nice, but, she was ready to be back with her team. Though, she couldn't escape the feeling that something wasn't quite right about what she remembered about Hawaii-especially after the events of last night. Deciding that a solid workout was just what the doctor ordered to clear her head, she finished the rest of her coffee before rising to her feet to return to the galley to dispose of her empty cup. "Well..." She called out, returning to the common area. "I think I'm gonna get dressed and head down to the gym." She added, stepping back into her bunk.

* * *

><p>Standing at the top of the stairway leading down to the gym, Phil watched his beloved hacker working the punching bag. As he watched the sight before him, he couldn't help feeling torn. He was thrilled to have her back...But, at what cost? He knew, all too well, the pain she'd endured during her resurrection-even if she didn't, yet. But, he also knew that she had a right to know what had been done to her. Drawing a steadying breath, he watched as she took a break from the punching bag and saw his opportunity to approach her. Descending the stairway, he came to a stop behind the unwitting owner of his heart.<p>

"What's up, Phil?" Skye asked, breathlessly, taking a long swallow from her water bottle. Setting her bottle down, Skye suddenly noticed the change in Phil's demeanor. "Phil? What's wrong?" She asked, more worriedly.

"Listen, Skye..." Finally Phil decided to just rip the band-aid off and get it over-with. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation no matter how he approached it. "There's something important that I really need to discuss with you...privately." He explained.

"Okay..." Skye replied, eager to hear whatever it was that had Phil so shaken. "Okay, yeah, sure...How about I shower and meet you in your bunk?" She offered, knowing that the senior agent's bunk provided the most privacy of on The Bus.

"Sure." Phil replied. Something about his voice put Skye on edge as he turned to leave. Shaking it off, the hacker gathered her towel and water bottle before returning upstairs for a shower.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Skye had showered and re-dressed herself and found herself standing anxiously outside Phil's bunk. She just couldn't wrap her mind around what could possibly have her AC so on edge. Finally deciding to find out, once and for all, she took a deep breath and opened the door to the bunk. "AC?" She called out, gently, before she found the senior agent sitting nervously on the edge of his bed.<p>

"Come on in, Skye." Phil offered, trying to keep his voice light. Though, he suspected the young hacker would know him better than that, by now. Following his orders, Skye entered the bunk, sliding the door closed behind her, before approaching the foot of the bed where Phil currently sat. "Have a seat." He offered, gently.

Sliding down next to the agent, Skye finally voiced the question on her mind. "AC, is everything okay?" She asked, worriedly. "You don't seem like yourself..." She added, lightly resting her hands on his forearm.

"Listen, Skye..." Phil sighed, slightly. "I...I have a confession to make." He admitted, shamefully. The hacktivist was tempted to ask what the confession was about, but, sensed that Phil wasn't finished speaking, yet, and just remained silent. "After you rescued me from Raina, you asked if I...If I learned anything back in that room..."

"Yeah..." Skye replied, hoping to see where AC was going with this. "What about it?" She asked, gently.

"Well...when I told you that they were just messing with my head...I lied..." Phil admitted, guiltily. Unable to face Skye's reaction, he simply hung his head in shame. A heavy silence stretched between them before Skye spoke.

"You lied to me." She spoke, simply, with the subtlest hint of betrayal in her voice. "Again." She couldn't believe that Phil would lie to her again, after everything he'd come clean about in regard to her parents. She thought she could trust him, again. But, she knew he must have had his reasons. The very least she could do was to hear him out before passing judgment against him.

"When I was in that machine...I...saw things..." Phil began, not quite sure how to phrase what he was trying to say.

"Whaddo you mean?" Skye asked, more curious than anything else. "What things?"

"Memories..." Phil replied, simply, his voice sounding more lost than Skye had been prepared for. "They were memories of what they did to me...to bring me back after the battle of New York."

Something about that admission blew Skye's mind. "What did they do to you?" She asked, quietly, sliding her arm around his back, drawing him into her side.

"They dragged me through seven different operations." Phil replied, his voice completely void of any emotion. "Dr. Streiten said that they had kept me conscious to monitor brain activity. He told me that I..." He couldn't bring himself to relive the hell that was 'Tahiti' as his voice trembled and broke.

"That you what?" Skye prodded, so gently that Phil nearly had to strain to hear her. Turning to look into her eyes, Phil Coulson never knew it was possible to feel simultaneously completely safe and completely guilty.

"That I..." Phil replied, shakily, never once breaking the stare he shared with his beloved hacker. "I had...I had lost my will...to live..."

Skye was left utterly breathless as she processed the bomb that Phil had dropped on her. "Oh...oh wow..." She breathed, dropping her gaze to her lap as she attempted to digest what she'd just heard. "Phil, I..." Looking back up into his baby blue eyes, Skye finished her thought. "I'm so sorry..."

Taking Skye's hands in his, Phil replied "It wasn't your fault. Please, don't apologize for what they did..." Skye was moved by the warm sincerity in the senior agent's voice. "You know, it's ironic..." He mused, softly. "Dr. Streiten explained that...They used this...machine...to give me back my will to live..."

"Did it work?" Skye asked, curiously.

Smiling softly, Phil replied "No." Taking Skye's confusion as a cue to elaborate Phil added "I mean, I _thought _it did...But, what really gave it back...was you."

"Me?" The softly spoken, disbelieving response drew a small warm smile out of the senior agent. "_I _gave you back your will to live?"

"Yes, you did." Phil replied, smiling, until Skye voiced her next question.

"Phil..." She began, a heavy tone to her voice. "Don't get me wrong. I'm...**_beyond_ **flattered..." She began, hesitantly. "But...Why are you telling me all this?"

Sighing heavily, Phil knew this was coming. Hell, it was the whole reason he'd asked to speak with her. "Because, Skye...Everything you've told me since you got back...It all just sounds...a little..._too _familiar..."

Studying the expression in Phil's eyes, the true meaning behind this whole conversation hit her like a freight train. "Oh my God..." Skye breathed, turning away from Phil to stare straight ahead at the wall in front of her. When her gaze finally returned to him, Phil saw the same lost look in their warm brown depths that he had felt, himself, when he'd learned the truth behind his own resurrection. "You don't think..." She began, unable to complete the thought.

"I didn't want to say anything until I was certain..." Phil began, gently. "But, after the nightmare you had, last night...I realized it was time that I came clean with you. You deserve to know the truth."

"I wasn't really dead for forty seconds, was I?" Skye asked, rhetorically. "It was a lot more than that, wasn't it?" She asked, her eyes desperately pleading with him to help make sense of this whole mess-begging for answers that he just didn't have.

"I honestly don't know." Phil replied, helplessly. "They lied to us just as much as they did to you..." He offered, lamely, before jumping to his feet, pacing angrily. "I mean, hell...They held a damn _**funeral **_for you, for Christ's sake! They let us think you were **dead**!"

Watching Phil's reaction tugged at Skye's heartstrings as she rose to halt his pacing. "Phil...I...I don't know what to say..." She offered, at a complete loss for how to respond to what Phil had just told her.

Staring into the doe eyes he'd once thought he'd never see again, Phil knew what he had to do. "There's nothing for you to _to _say..." He replied, gently, lightly gripping her arms in his hands. "But, I think that it's time for the rest of the team to know the truth." He added, thoughtfully. "And, then, I need to have a little _chat _with Director Fury."

Staring into the piercing blue eyes of the man that had unwittingly stolen her heart, Skye knew he was right. She hated secrets and she was tired of hiding them from her team. Nodding quietly, she remained silent as Phil drew her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Everything had changed for them. As terrifying as that thought was, Skye knew she could handle it with her AC on her side.

* * *

><p>"You wanted to see us, Agent Coulson?" Jemma greeted, as she and Fitz joined Coulson, Skye, May, and Ward in the common area.<p>

"Yes, Jemma..." Phil replied, gesturing for the two science officers to claim the two remaining seats. "Please, have a seat." As Fitzsimmons complied, Phil drew a steadying breath before beginning with his reason for gathering the team, together. "Listen, everyone...The reason I've gathered you all here is...Well, it's difficult for me to talk about so I'm going to ask you to let me get through what I have to say before asking any questions..." He began, nervously. Glancing around the room, he saw the rest of his team nod in agreement before he powered onward. "The reason I brought you all together...is because I...well, I think it's time you all knew the truth about me-more specifically, what happened to me after the battle of New York."

To Jemma's credit, she had tried, valiantly, to heed Phil's orders about waiting until the end of his speech before asking any questions. But, the scientist in her was just too damn curious. "You mean...after you were killed..." She hedged, carefully.

"Yes, Jemma..." Phil relinquished. After another deep breath, Phil continued with his story. "After I was killed...I was led to believe that they treated my injuries, and-after some time in recovery-I was sent to Tahiti on R&R..."

"But...you weren't?" Ward questioned, still trying to wrap his mind around the bombshell that still hung in the air.

"No, Agent Ward..." Something had changed in Phil's voice that none of his operatives could quite identify. "I was dead for several days while they dragged me through seven different operations. Most of which are still blank. But, the final one became clear to me after I was subjected to Raina's machine." He elaborated, shuddering at the memory. "After you all brought me back, here, I went to speak with Dr. Streiten who explained that they covered up what they did to me by...essentially...surgically implanting more...pleasant memories. They gave me memories of a trip to Tahiti in hopes that those would...replace what I had lost..."

"With all due respect, Agent Coulson..." Jemma began, carefully. "What, exactly, had you lost?"

Staring directly at the bio-chemist, Phil replied in a dead monotone that chilled even Agent May to the core. "My will to live." The entire group fell into the same heavy silence he'd experienced with Skye when he'd told her the story. "By the end of the seventh and final operation, I was screaming...Begging and pleading to die...They used a machine to implant false memories...They changed my memories of what they did to me...Gave me pleasant memories of a tropical island in hopes that those memories could restore my will to live."

"With all due respect, Phil..." May interjected, speaking for the first time since they'd all gathered together in the conference room. "Why, exactly, are you telling us this?"

"Because they did the same damn thing to me." Skye interjected, jumping to her feet.

"What?!" Simmons, Fitz, May and Ward all demanded in unison.

"Skye, _**please **_tell me you're joking!" Jemma begged, helplessly.

"Believe me, Jemma..." Skye sighed, heavily. "I _**really **_wish I could..." She offered, just as lost and helpless as Jemma. "Nothing would make me happier, right now...But, the truth is...After Coulson told me about what happened to him...Everything suddenly...Made sense..." She shrugged, at a loss for how to explain her situation. "Ever since I got back...I've been having these really _weird_ dreams. At first, they were pleasant enough...In the beginning, I was always on the beach in Hawaii...getting massages...sipping fruity, tropical drinks...But, something about them never really felt...right..." She paused, searching for the right words. "I couldn't describe it...But, it felt like...Like that's what I was **supposed **to remember. Like it didn't feel natural." Watching his hacker wrap her arms around herself in an attempt to shield herself against the cold only she felt, Coulson stepped over next to her, gathering her into his arms. "And, then, last night...Last night started off the same way as all the others did...But, then...somehow everything changed. Everything went black and I-I couldn't think..." She shuddered against the memory. "My mind was too clouded with pain. I must have been screaming in the dream-as well as in reality-because I heard someone shouting 'This is wrong!' and 'The hell with Fury! Throw my ass under the bus, I don't give a good God-damn! Just-for the love of all that's good and holy-listen to her!'...But, his voice didn't sound right...Like it was way off in the distance..." Still reeling from everything that had happened, she muttered "I just...I-I don't know..."

"It's okay." Phil assured her, gently. "It's not all gonna make sense, right now-maybe not even ever..." He added. "But, all you need to know is that...you're not alone." Shifting the hacker in his arms, Phil stared directly into her eyes. "And, you never _will _be..."

"Coulson's right." Ward replied, in an uncharacteristically gentle voice. "We may not be able to understand what you went through-what you _are _going through...or...even what you _will _go through..." He conceded. "But, we're always gonna be there to do whatever we can to help you through it..."

"Absolutely." Jemma replied, smiling softly.

"We're a team, Skye..." Fitz added as Skye shifted her gaze over to him. "But, more than that...We're a family..." He added, mirroring Jemma's smile. "We'll always have your back."

"Definitely." Melinda added, unable to resist a small smile, herself. "We'll always have your six."

Looking around the room, Skye couldn't believe how lucky she'd been. Before she'd known that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been involved in her life, she'd never thought she'd have any semblance of a family. But, now, she was surrounded by family willing to help her through a trauma that no human being should ever have to endure. For the first time, in her life...she was home.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**So, I was going to include Coulson's confrontation with Fury in this chapter...But, it's currently a quarter after two in the morning...I need some sleep. So, I bring you this little offering to tide y'all over until I get the confrontation written. Enjoy!

~Skye Coulson


	8. I Really Hate You

**Back From the Dead**

**Disclaimer:  
><strong>Really? Y'all really oughtta know the drill, by now.

**Rating:  
><strong>T

**Genre:  
><strong>Hurt/Comfort

**Pairing:  
><strong>Coulsye

**Lyrics Used:  
><strong>Jessie J (feat Becky G) "Excuse My Rude"

* * *

><p><span>I Really _ Hate You<span>

* * *

><p><em>I-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi | I try to show that I'm there | I-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi | I end up ripping out my hair | Why-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi | Do I even wanna care | W-w-w-wanna care | Wanna care, care<em>

* * *

><p>Bursting through the doors to the office of the Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, Agent Phil Coulson looked positively ready to kill as he set his eyes on his target. One Nick Fury. "Phil." Fury greeted, in a friendly - if not somewhat suspicious - tone of voice. "What can I-" The SHIELD director began, only to be cut off by his dearest friend - his one good eye.<p>

"Stop lying, Nick." Phil hissed, venomously. "You've been lying to me since the day I died." Watching the Director's eyes widen almost imperceptibly, Phil would have been lying if he said he didn't feel at least a very small sense of victory. "That's right, Nick! I know the truth! I know all about your little cover story!" The anger in Phil's voice was rising at a rate sufficient to alarm even the seasoned SHIELD director who had begun slowly backing away as Phil stalked toward him. "But, I was able to look past _that_…" He began, in a deceptively - and frighteningly - calm tone. "I could learn to live with _that_...What I can't get past, however, is you doing the same shit to Skye…" He added as the young hacker stalked into the office - looking for all the world like a lioness stalking her prey. "...and, then, lying to my fucking _face _about it!"

"Now, Phil-" Fury began, hoping to diffuse the situation, before Skye cut him off.

"No." The hacker interjected, viciously. "No more bullshit!" She hissed, rapidly advancing on the director until she stood no more than an inch in front of him. "I wanna know why you felt it necessary to drag Phil and myself through depths of Hell that even Satan _himself _actively tries to avoid!"

"And, for once in your pathetic life, just give us an honest answer, Nick!" Phil hissed, moving to stand next to the hacker and boxing Fury into place.

"I think we _deserve _that!" Skye insisted, darkly.

Shifting his gaze back and forth between the two operatives in front of him, Nick Fury was no idiot. He knew that more deception would likely get him killed in this scenario. Sighing lightly, he decided it was time to come clean with the two Lazarus agents. "You're right." He conceded, finally. "You _do _deserve to know the truth. The reason I brought you back was two-fold." He began, directing his response at Skye. "We haven't even begun to delve into your value as an 0-8-4, Skye, and we need to understand whatever we can about you in the event that more people like you start showing up." Eloquent? No. But, at least it was honest. "And, secondly…" He began, glancing over at Phil before continuing. "...Phil is one of the best damn operatives this agency has ever seen. But, more than that...He's one of my closest friends."

To that comment, Phil could only scoff. "With friends like _that_, who needs _enemies_?" The senior agent muttered to himself, knowing full-well that the director would hear it.

Deciding it best to just skip over Phil's response, Fury pressed onward with his story. "I know how much you mean to him." He spoke, genuinely. "And, I also knew that - had we lost you - we would have lost him, too."

Phil had to admit that was rather blown away at Fury's response. He couldn't deny that the director was right. He knew very well that a large of part of him had died inside when he thought Skye was dead. _That still doesn't excuse what he did, though..._Phil told himself.

"If I _had _told you…" Fury began, shifting his attention to Phil. "...would you have let me go through with it?"

Phil knew he had a point. There was no way he could have let Skye go through all that. And, he never would have gotten his beloved hacker back. "That wasn't my call to make. Nor was it yours." Phil hissed. "It should have been _her _decision. The same as it should have been mine when you did it to me. You had no right to make this decision _for _us!"

"Was it ethical?" Fury asked, rhetorically. "No." He conceded. "But, damn it, Phil, I already lost my one good eye once." He argued. "I couldn't bear it the first time – it's why I brought you back. And, I wasn't about to lose you again after Skye was shot."

Looking over at the senior agent to her left, Skye could see the storm of emotions in his eyes. Looking back at the director, she knew that there was no answer that he could give that would make this whole mess...okay for either of them. But, it did give her some semblance of peace to see him bearing this much to them. Lightly gripping his arm, the hacker looked to Phil. "I think we're done, here." She spoke warmly, but, firmly.

Staring into her eyes, Phil understood the underlying meaning behind her words. "You're right." Glaring at the director, he added "But, so help me _God_, Nick … If you _ever _pull another stunt like this … I can _personally _guarantee it **will** be your last."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<br>**So sorry I took so long to update this! I can only hope it was worth the wait!

~Skye Coulson


	9. Hiatus

Just to let everybody know … I've currently got a lot on my plate, right now. I'm getting married in 11 days … My fiance & I are going to be moving to Nevada a week after the wedding … And, my mother is currently on life support in CICU (Coronary Intensive Care). So, I'm not going to get a lot of time to work on any of my stories – probably until after the wedding and the move. I'll try to get some work in but no promises. I an so sorry to anybody who was looking forward to any updates. I will try to update my stories as soon as possible.

~ Skye Coulson


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